The FullMetal Alchemist and the Iron Maiden
by Uchiha Kengura
Summary: Violet Evergarden, an Auto-Memories Doll has been requested for a long, and distant voyage to another Land. With many such requests, the C.H. Postal company sends their most dedicated and talented Doll to handle the requests and to document her travels. Chapter 4 Is up now after such a long wait! Thank you everyone for your continued support, it means the world to me!
1. The Auto-Memories Doll in Liore

The trains in Amestris seemed odd, spacious even compared to Lieden. The cars were larger, roomier and had many amenities afforded them. Everywhere, symbols of the civil war that had ended recently were spread, and were a constant reminder of the horrors of such tragedy that had been the object of so many thoughts.

Riding in a car this luxurious however, was a rare treat and was much better than the ride over by boat from across the ocean.

Violet stirred little in her seat, riding through the countryside and taking in the depth and beauty of the countryside, plastered with the remains of violent conflict and strife that had stricken the lands around her.

She glanced down, her gloved and mechanical hands clasping a request firmly and tracing it's edges as she rode silently along. The letter had been sent over 2 months prior, and the journey across the ocean had been difficult. With both continents exiting wars that are still rocking the nations participating to their very cores, travel was still a bit difficult. Ships still went missing every now and then, and plenty of pirates sailed the seas looking for weak and hapless merchants.

Violet detested the violence now, and the actions taken against the weak and defenseless, especially when it would impede such important correspondence. However, to have a request from so far away? The day would never cease to amaze when people would call from their distant side of the world just to have an Auto-memory doll venture to them, however it must have been very important for such a long and stressful journey.

The train ride to Liore had taken several days, and arriving in the sandy, arid desert the scars of war still showed just as brightly here as they did through the countryside riding in. She had gotten only a formal overview of the history in the region but did not know many of the specifics. Regarding the nature of her assignment, the only information stated was that there was a young man who needed a great transcriptionist, who could help translate ancient works and texts at a high rate of speed.

Oddly enough, it would appear that this country had very few people skilled in the use of auto-memory doll devices, as many of the inhabitants were very poor, and only the military in this country had access to any great advances in technology.

War… it takes its toll everywhere.

War… its burns still burn deeply.

War… she hated it.

Her contact said that they would be waiting for her at the Liore train station to escort her all the way to Central City, the Capital of Amestris. Apparently, whoever had requested her abilities was part of the new government or associated with them somehow. The request came at the behest of someone called… Elric, however it did not specify who this person was or what the connection had been. She only inferred it from the stamp on the back, bearing the military crest from Amestris.

Gathering her belongings, Violet stood and took her custom typewriter and stepped forward, off the train, and looking around saw very few people exit the train. Slowly raising her blue parasol, she exited the train, stepping with a light click onto the ground

Only one man was on the platform, waiting for someone.

This man had golden hair, brighter than the sands surrounding them. His skin, appeared somewhat pale but lively. He had the look of a child, but

He must be the Elric man she had been informed of.

Clutching her brooch briefly, she walked towards the man. She began to approach slowly and introduce herself to him, as he turned to her.

If it is your wish, I shall travel anywhere to meet you.

Auto-Memories Doll at your service.

I, am Violet Evergarden.

Quickly and effortlessly curtsying, she bowed her head.

The man quickly held up a hand, surprised by such a formal greeting but not saying anything just yet. He stuck his hand out, and smiled gently.

"It's nice to meet you, Violet. I'm Alphonse!" He replied brightly, his smile gentle and warm. Violet slowly straightened her back, and reached forward with her own to accept his greeting.

"It is nice to meet you as well, Sir." She replied, her sapphire eyes locked on him and her body poised like a soldier.

Al looked at her, guessing she was only 16 or 17… but by her stance was clearly a soldier. Just like Ed, she'd been a military soldier at a young age, and her manners still showed them. Al only smiled, not saying anything about it but raising his hand to a chair beside them.

"The next train to central, it doesn't come for another few hours. Why don't we get comfortable for the time being and talk for a bit. I'm sure after such a long journey you're hungry as well." Al offered, as they both turned and left the train platform.

"Thank you for the offer, however, I do not require much to eat. As for comfort, I cannot say that I am uncomfortable either, sir." Still as monotonous as ever, her reply flowed from her lips, like a military report.

Al only smiled anyway, having spent so much time around the military growing up, working and fighting alongside his brother he was used to that sort of behavior and it wasn't an issue.

Violet perched beside him, sitting dutifully and placing her type-writer beside her feet. Pulling her knees together and flattening her dress as she sat, with near perfect posture on the firm bench. Al was even somewhat impressed, her appearance so immaculate and tailored. Her radiating beauty, her striking outward persona hitting him with waves of confidence yet vague uncertainty. She was a blank slate, emotionless and truly a doll.

Al couldn't help but feel… reminiscent, of his days as a suit of armor. Wearing nothing more than a mask and a body, moving from within but unable to show emotion or poise. This woman, she exuded the same physical mannerisms he had for so many years, he had to touch his own arm and feel the warmth, just to remind himself that those days were over and he was a living person again.

Violet saw this, and lifting her gaze slowly to meet with his parted her lips to speak, but Al heard no words, trapped in a memory for the moment.

"Sir?" She asked, looking at Al directly now.

"I'm sorry, I was lost in a memory." He replied simply, not wanting to worry her.

"I asked if there was something bothering you." She re spoke, crossing her hands over top of eachother. Her beautiful, tanned leather gloves stretched out over her fingers she clasped them together and Al heard a familiar chinking noise. Looking behind him he didn't see anyone there, and brushed the feeling off.

"No, im quite alright! I'm just thinking about something in the past, Really!" He tried to reassure her, and not worry the doll.

"Good, I wouldn't wish for my presence to bring you or cause you any discomfort." Violet said, the words coming out like smooth flowing silk, easy to hear and impossible to ignore yet, calm and quiet.

Al looked down and pulled a map from his pocket. Opening it up, a small map of Amestris unfolded and he held it up, the sun lighting the map for them and brightening the world around them from behind a large cloud in the sky.

"I thought, since this is the first time you'd been to this continent, that I could show you a little bit of where we are. That, and tell you where we are going." He said, pointing at the map.

"That would be appropriate, sir." Violet replied quickly.

Al pointed to a small red dot on the map.

"This, this is Liore, where we are. You came from Drachma to the north, and got on the train… here in Esfakot, right?" He pointed and drug his fingers.

Violet nodded and traced along with him. Not knowing the words and the symbols on the map, she just placed her hand in the places that seemed familiar.

"Yes, that's right. And we are going here, To visit first with my brother in Resembool, south of East city." He placed his hand on a large red bullseye, and drug it down, 3 cities to Resembool. Violet traced this and visualized where they were going.

"It's quite a long way…" She said, looking at the journey and that would only be the first leg of the journey.

"Yes, but im sure that you will enjoy it!" Al said. "There's so many places to visit along the way, im sure for the time your going to spend here in Amestris, there will be a lot of fun things to do that you don't have back in… where was it you are coming from?" he asked, curiously about her home.

"I am from Liedenschaftlich, a city in the Southern portion of the Continent." She said. "I do not have a map to show you.

"That's fine, Violet. I just hope this trip is worth the extreme distances you had to travel." He said slightly regretfully.

"I, am an Auto-Memories Doll. I will go wherever my clients request of my services." She replied confidently.


	2. Trains and Tears for Two

The doll sat aside from Alphonse, her hands clasped gently over a small emerald brooch that sat upon her chest, held tight to her like the very life she lived with. That brooch, of the deepest emerald was brighter than any gem Al had seen in quite a while, even more so that the stones of infamy he had once desired to possess. She obviously cared a great deal about it, as there weren't a few moments where she hadn't either motioned to it, clasped it or held it in her palm since they boarded the train for East City.

Travelling again, they shared a compartment in the train together. Violet didn't speak much, simply watching and looking out the train's windows at the landscape as they rolled through the valleys, leaving the desert area of Liore to finally approach one of the larger cities in Amestris.

Alphonse was happy to be once again heading home, after a long journey himself heading out to North City it would be good to finally be home again and see his brother. It had been some time, and it was time to start making plans for a new journey, now that he had some strength. Al's mind wandered a bit… thinking and pondering what that journey would entail, and just distracting himself on the long train ride.

Violet finally perked up, looking at something in the distance on the ground, a small crater surrounded by what looked like glass.

"Sir…" she spoke up, raising a leather finger and pointing to the crater as they passed it in the train car to get closer to the site.

"Sir Alphonse, what is in that hole?" she asked, her voice calm yet a slight hint of curiosity piqued through the porcelain façade.

Al looked and saw the hole she pointed to.

"More than likely, it's a leftover from the war that just ended. I don't know if we created it or… some other alchemist did." He responded, mind overflowing with memories of the recent past.

"Al… chemy?" Violet asked turning back to Alphonse. "Do you mean that… scientific alchemy can produce damage like that… like a weapon?" she continued, somewhat alarmed at the discovery.

"Unfortunately, yes, it can be. We saw a lot of the fighting done with Alchemy actually, and many of our friends… they were put in harms way by it's use." Al looked down, sad and in thought from this statement.

"Its hard to imagine that mixing a few chemicals together can create such power." Violet said, turning her head back to the landscape beside them, now rich and dense with trees and the crater gone from view.

"Well there's a bit more to it yea, but application is everything. Brother was one of the most skilled Alchemists in all of Amestris until…" Al stopped speaking, choking up slowly and turning his head away from Violet as a blush started to come over his cheeks slowly, burning under his eyes and betraying his emotions.

"Does one lose the knowledge of how to perform such chemistry?" She asked instinctively. Thinking back on her own knowledge, in their homeland alchemy was a science dedicated to the study and manipulation of chemical elements and their physical properties.

"Well… not quite…" Alphonse replied, somewhat visibly shaken. Violet, unable to properly read this discomfort however was persistent in her pursuit of this answer. Al scratches his head softly and smiles gently.

"I think I might just have to… show you…" He finally said shakily. Shrugging off the past and the memories. He takes a small glass ornament and shows violet the ornament. Its beautiful colors glistening in the light that radiates into the car through the window, bouncing off and flashing rainbows across the car.

Violet peered at the small glass ornament, amazed at its delicate yet beautiful structure. Forgetting for a moment about whatever Alchemy was, and transfixed on the small ornament, and gently clutching her brooch as well, smiling softly.

"I want you to take this and break it." He said. Handing her the ornament, he expected her to try and snap a piece of it off or break a small part of the ornament's limb off. Handing it to Violet, he watched as she instantly smashed the ornament into pieces in a single powerful squeeze, breaking it into many small parts.

"I have destroyed the ornament as you have requested, Sir." She replies, handing it back with a sly smile on her face.

Al looked somewhat defeated, surprised at the sheer veracity she displayed in destroying the ornament and the ease she did, but remembering his own power and strength from when he was armor, he smiled a little. Clapping his hands slowly and placing them on the ornament, small shots of blue light came from his hands and crackled, tingling across the leather gloves violet wore and a brighter light shone as the ornament was reformed back to its original state.

Violet watched and as he lifted his hands, she sat transfixed, holding a fully repaired and whole figurine again. It's small glass features fully intact, as if she had never broken it in the first place. She looked at him, her Sapphire eyes confused but amazed as she held it gently and handed it back to him.

"This is amazing, that kind of power is like magic!" She elatedly proclaimed, never seeing anything like it before in her life. Al quickly recoiled at the statement, having had dealt with persons calling Alchemy a form of Magic in the past, it was hard to explain without much study like he and his brother had performed over many years.

"Its not magic, no, but it can certainly be seen that way from someone who's never seen it done before. Normally, you have to draw a circle around the object but I know a special way, where I can transmute without a transmutation circle. My brother… he was the one who figured it out first, and we both learned to do it after some reflection." He said, choking back the truth a bit and holding it in as to not startle Violet.

"I see. So, you can alter an object given its initial components and even reshape them as needed I would assume?" She spoke, retrieving her hands as Al plucked the ornament back from her hand and put it back in it's container her held with him.

"Yes, that's correct!" Al confirmed, excited suddenly by her understanding and that she wasn't immediately put off by his demonstration.

"Alchemy is a science dedicated to the study of an object and its smaller components. One of the most basic laws is 'The Law of Equivalent Exchange', to get something, you must put something of equal value to the result you are achieving to desire. So, if I want a glass ornament, I must already have all the pigments, the glass and other components that go into the final product, even if they are broken." Al explained, using his fingers to draw in the air a circle to help illustrate.

Violet hastily and eagerly followed his motions, watching as he drew circles and other things in the air and explained the nature of Alchemy to her. Blown away, she learned quickly, intrigued by this new information and impressed about the talents of their far-off kinsman from around the world.

"So, what are the limitations of this scientific art?" Violet finally asked. Al, seemingly exhausted from explaining things as best he could, sat and pondered for a few moments before replying.

"Not many…" He replied with a good bit of hesitation. "There are some limits to Alchemy but in most cases we generally follow the rule that you, you can't create something out of nothing." Al said, his tone slightly more somber.

His memories jumped… back to the promised day when he finally came back to earth with his body intact. Remembering all that he had done and been until that moment, the prices they had paid for that taboo. Al clutched his own arm, just trying to remind himself for a moment that it was still all real, not believing it at times. Regretting the decisions, he and Ed had to make, and everything that had happened in their own attempts to create what wasn't theirs to control.

Violet didn't react during this silence, giving Al the time to pause, and to think. She sat perfectly still, looking back at him with her cool blue eyes gently resting their gaze upon him. Thinking on what he had said, she started to imagine what the abilities they had could do. Being able to reform something from the broken pieces. Imagining the glass being re-forged and recreated instantly without a second hesitation was impressive enough. Looking down at her hands, she thought for a moment, that if it could have been done with glass and sand, what about… what about her hands?

Reaching out slightly she paused again… but… if they could make new hands… could… could it? The Major.

"The Major…" she muttered, looking at all with the determined eyes and tears of a broken child, clinging to a tiny hope. "The Major… could this… fix the Major?" She asked, clutching her brooch.

It had been nearly a year since he had gone missing in action, and had not been seen or heard from since. With this, if they could find him… find Major Gilbert, could they heal him? Could they fix him?

The questions, the desires, her own feelings clouded everything now and she turned to all with tears in her eyes, to meet tears of his own.

Alphonse looked at her, scared to answer and being caught so of guard by it. He didn't even really know how to answer, because he knew Truth, as did Ed. How to answer without causing her more heartache. Leaving Liore, he remembered Rose and her brother, the desire to see her brother again. This "Major" was very important to her, he could see it in her eyes she cared much for him.

"I'm sorry but Alchemy… it doesn't work that way…" He said quietly. "The science we know, we can't fix people or make a new body." He said, choking back some of his own memories to tell her this.

Violet understood immediately, retreating and clasping the brooch, her tears falling silently as she simply remembered him. She held it tight, as it was the only thing she had left of him and nothing in this world would be able to fix that or bring him back.

"If… if someone were able to find him though… his body was there… You couldn't?" she stammered out, trying again to see if there was a better way to ask the question.

"The Major, he still has to tell me something…" she said, and Al raised his hands.

"I'm sorry but that's not possible either! Once something dies, you can't fix it, and if you try, you pay a horrible price!" His fear getting some of the better of him, not wanting her to think there is a way to try. This beautiful girl shouldn't have to get involved with that kind of horror, and Al didn't want her to start believing that there was a way to bring people back from the dead. He and Ed knew far better than that and since getting their bodies back they have worked hard to keep that information to themselves.

Violet nodded, "I understand." She confirmed, drying some of her tears. "The payment for trying to fix someone would be too high to comprehend." She returned to her cold, almost robotic stoicism. Al, taken off guard by this woman again he stared at her, wondering just what she'd gone through in her life to have this kind of emotional discord in her.

"I'm sorry about who this… Major… is. It sounds like you care a great deal for him though." Al confided to her, unsure of what to say.

"Yes." She only replied simply.

"Is he… why you became… a writer?" He asked, trying to change the subject a little.

Violet looked down at the typewriter she carried with her. The case wrapped in a beautiful leather, bound with the brass fittings and holding in it the tool of her trade. She smiled softly and turned back to the window of the car, seeing the grass fields beside them. She could imagine herself in that field, running through the grass with Major Gilbert, doing training exercises in the military, and again as an older woman, had he still been here.

"Yes, Major Gilbert was the person who ordered me to follow the Lieutenant, who gave me a job when I left the Army. Though, he didn't really give that order, the Lieutenant did, and he only did so to help me, so I still see it as if the Major himself was looking out for me. I became an Auto-Memories Doll to understand what he told me when I last saw him." She looked at the typewriter once again, thinking of the clients she had taken in the past. Every client, etched into her memory, leaving her with a small piece of humanity. Each letter, engraving a small piece of itself into her very heart.

Alphonse watched as she looked down, and saw the shy, small smile flick across her lips. Whoever this Major was, he was very important to her.

"Did… did you love him?" Al asked, and her expression turned to one of shock.

"I do not fully know, what love is." She replied. "I became a doll, to answer that question."

Al didn't completely understand what she meant by that statement, but in any case, she was a talented writer and a gifted scribe. She had emotion and passion for what she did, and that's all that mattered.

"I'm really sorry if I brought up any trouble for you, I didn't mean to do anything to upset you!" He said this playfully and apologetically, throwing up his hands and feigning a smile. It appeared to set her a little more at ease.

Several hours had passed, the long train ride fraught with other small conversations but in the end, Al was left more confused than anything. The girl was obviously very focused, but he couldn't make out who exactly she was. He didn't want to pry further, not here on a train at least, and reserved his questions more for later.

"Sir." She finally said, breaking the long silence that had begun to overtake the car. Late into the evening, the auburn glow of the setting sun hitting the train, she looked over to Alphonse and in a quiet tone she repeated the word.

Al had started to doze off when she woke him, sitting up a tiny bit. "Sorry, I must have been more tired that I first though." Al stretched and looked over to the doll, sitting just as she had been when he first nodded off, almost as if she had not moved at all. He almost envied that statuesque ability, one he missed since being nothing more that a suit of metal.

"Sir, I believe we are arriving at our next destination." Violet said.

The train gradually slowed its pace and entered a very rural station, signs outside indicating end of the line. Al, standing as the train stopped grabbed his bag and walked to the edge of the platform, looking off into the distance.

"Resembool, this is our home. Mine and Ed's." Al stated with a fresh confidence. Glad to be off the train as well, Violet stood beside him looking out.

"It's, quite a beautiful town." She said, looking over the amber glazed hillside from the setting sun.

"Come on, we need to hurry otherwise we'll have to walk in the dark." Eager to get moving and head home finally.

Violet, her case and typewriter in tow headed out as they started down the path.

"So, I must ask. What exactly am I here to do?" She investigated. She had waited a time to ask what her purpose was, as the request that was sent long ago had been under some secrecy, just requesting the aid of a foreign transcriptionist. The nature of the request was fairly… foreign, itself, and Violet was not sure what she could offer at this time.

Al lifted his bag over his shoulder and thought for a moment. Even he didn't know exactly what she was coming for, he'd only promised Ed he would find the doll and retrieve her to the station.

"I honestly can't say, Brother was the one who requested your presence, and he was the person who arraigned for your travel here to the countryside. Beyond that, I really can't say I will be any help!" Alphonse feigned another smile, but he was curious as to why Ed would do such a thing in the first place.

"My abilities are highly sought, and I have had many requests since becoming an Auto-memories doll, however I would never have thought to be requested from someone so far away." Violet conceded, unaware of this person's influence or reach. "Was… was your brother in the military?" She asked, remembering the letter and the military address on the letter.

Alphonse turned to her, looking at her squarely.

"No, Brother… I mean Edward was a State Alchemist, and hated the military. We were often referred to as the dogs of the military, and even though he received a budget from the military and was called upon to act, we never truly were soldiers. That didn't stop us from getting into trouble… and being part of everything that happened here." Al didn't want to say more, turning his head to the side and looking towards a particular hilltop, with two stones rising into the shadows from on distant ground. Al closed his eyes, a single tear forming and dropping down his cheek. All of the memories, all of the burdens, the chaos, the sorrow welled up.

"I see." Violet responded regretfully, clasping the handle of her luggage and twisting it firmly. ' _Dog of the military….'_ She thought, remembering her own title and being called that by the Captain and others in the Army and the Navy when she was fighting in Leiden.

"Don't get me wrong though, with the title of State Alchemist, Ed was treated as a Major in the army…" Al continued, and Violets eyes snapped up to his, blue Sapphires blooming in her head but then dimming.

"The Major… he held the same position as the Major?" Her shock quickly faded, remembering that their military must function differently than her own and that their ranks may not even be the same.

"Major… Gilbert, right?" Al guessed, trying to remember what she'd told him on the train ride into Resembool.

"Yes, that's correct." She confirmed, taking a few steps forward and continuing down the path.

"Well, he seems to be very fond of you. Is he waiting back home for you to return?" Al asked and as he did, she stopped again, this time tears flooding her eyes.

"I… I… the…." She sputtered, freezing with fear and pain, clutching the brooch firmly in her fingers and sniffling at the assertion.

"No, I'm sorry I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you upset… its just you talked so highly of him!" Al got worried, he hadn't meant to upset her, and he really was just trying to make short conversation on the way home.

"T-T-The Major is Missing-in-Action and… as… his… and as his weapon I failed him. He fell and it's my fault he didn't come back from the war…" She sobbed, nearly collapsing on the road.

Alphonse was at a total loss for words, unable to think of a way to console the poor girl he knelt down next to her and gently took her hands.

"I'm sure wherever he is, the way you talk about him and bring him up, he's thinking of you and must love you very much." Al hoped this would cut through, and for a moment, it seemed as though she was lost to him. But in a pause, she breathed slightly and looked up.

"Yes sir, though, I still don't know what love is I am trying to understand it. He told me he does but, I have been searching for that answer since I last saw him." She confided in Al and looked up to him, his shadow covering her whole body and his silhouette from the sun looking vaguely like The Major's, she slowed her own tears, finally able to relax and stand again.

Al didn't really understand what he'd said to set her off in the first place, but he was at least glad to have helped calm her down.

"I apologize, Sir. As my client I do not wish for you to worry about me, and I am here to perform my duties, nothing more…" Her words sounded as hollow as their meaning, but Al understood. He didn't want to correct her further and upset her, so he backed off just a hair, letting her stand and compose herself further.

"It's fine, really I should be the one apologizing, not you!" Alphonso recanted, stepping back and holding his hands up defensively. He hated upsetting someone, and seeing her start to get emotional concerned him greatly.

Violet looked at him, her dolls face starting to come on and become more expressionless again as she shook her head with the slight glimmer of a smile.

"Do not worry, Sir, I am fine. There is nothing wrong I am simply still learning and seek to keep doing so. "She replied, trying to reassure him. Her own emotions aside, trying to keep herself professional is just as important.

"Well I don't know about being your client either, I'm only taking you to see my brother, he's the real person you need to worry about. "AL explained, and Violet nodded.

"Then I shall be worried about him then." Violet responded, adamantly looking towards the road.

"No! That's not what I meant!" AL hung his head, smiling but somewhat defeated as she walked away from him.

Walking together, AL had some time to point out the rest of Resembool to Violet. Much of the town had been changed or worked on, and yet to AL, it looked so familiar. The scenery, the lands, the smells in the air, and even the trees in the distance. The rolling countryside was always the same, no matter how many times he saw it and every time he did, he wondered… why did I leave in the first place.

Violet couldn't help but appreciate the natural beauty, and saying multiple times how she couldn't believe somewhere so beautiful existed so close to such damage. Each time, it ate a bit at AL, knowing the truth and knowing that he and his brother, were part of the carnage. It ate a bit at Al's soul, having to hear her, a foreigner speak of their home and country as it was. Hearing those words, and that information come from someone from so far away, it made him sad. He wished there were better ways to describe what had happened, but as it remained there was little to be said.

Alphonse continued to lament the state of their country for the rest of the walk, finally approaching the Rockbell Auto-mail shop. Relieved to finally be at their destination, Al took a moment to try and calm himself. Normally outgoing and very talkative, this topic and the history it involves, and present company had mostly exhausted him and mindful of this his goal was to just rest for a time.

Violet seemed unphased seeing the modest shop in the valley. An auto-mail mechanic that had been in business for many years, she thought of her own arms. Having not revealed the fact that she had her own metallic arms, she did not know that the people of Amestris also had access to technology to craft and attach metallic limbs in place of the damages of war. She began to become more eager as they approached, curious as to the storeowner and their wares they sold.

"Before we go in, I need to tell you something…" Al stopped Violet at the door, holding his hand on the door before opening it.

Violet stopped short, looking at him with the same expressionless face she carried most of the time, waiting for him to speak.

"Brother, Edward, he can be a bit eccentric at times. Like I said, I don't truly understand why he summoned you however as you arrived now, this is a bit of an interesting time for us. Please try to understand if he's a bit… odd at first. He's a good person, but… be careful what you say." Ed explained. Worried that Ed may not exactly remember setting this up, and Violet not knowing many of their trials he didn't want the two to start fighting right off the bat.

"Do not worry, Sir, I will keep my professionalism as an Auto-memories Doll at all times and you don't have to worry about things getting out of hand." Violet replied with a slight nod of her head.

Reassured slightly, Al opened the door and revealed the interior of Pinako's Shop. Passing by a sign, Violet struggles to read it, placing her hand on the lettering, embossed on the door.

"It reads "Rockbell Automail' if you're wondering." Al presumed she wanted to read it, but was unfamiliar with the words. Even though their spoken language had been very similar, it appears the written language from Leiden and Amestris were going to be quite different. Ed may have his work cut out for him if she has to learn to type…

Violet held her finger over the words, memorizing it nearly instantly and the letters involved. It felt so familiar to her, almost as if the languages were almost the same but just separated and developed from the same base. The letters looked… vague but familiar.

"ED! WINRY!" Al called out, walking into the store and looking for the occupants. As they stepped in, Violet was hit with a wind carrying many scents and memories. The smell of Metal was in the air, oil and lubricants drying across work benches, grease tubs and the faint smell of medicinal oils and cleansers. The store itself was very tidy, having very little in the way of seating yet still looking very inviting and extremely pleasant for an operating house and Automail fitters shop. She at the worst was expecting something much drabber more toward hospital grade but this felt… familiar. The homey feel of the shop was in a way relaxing.

Perched atop a beautiful hill, Violet stood at the doorway looking out over the rolling hills they just walked through, and the location felt as though she'd been there before. Remembering the view from the Leiden Clocktower, she recalled the memories of seeing it for the first time and could only smile and shed a tear.

"Major…" she whispered to herself. ' _I wish you could be here to see this with me…'_ Her mind drifted as she stood, and before turning to go inside, she saw a hint of the glowing orange sunlight, striking right across her body from over the hilltop as the sun began to pass behind the tree line. The sight was so perfect, so pristine. So far from home yet incredibly beautiful and reminiscent.

She clutched tight to the Brooch and bowed her head down to it.

The brooch she would never give up, not for anything.

The only tie she had to a past she wants to leave behind.

Al searched the entire house finding nothing while Violet waited, going through the entire home calling out for Winry and Pinako. Defeated and rubbing his hands through his hair walked back downstairs to the parlor.

"I'm really sorry but it looks like no one's home right now, I don't know where they could have gone."

"That's quite fine, Sir." Violet responded, regaining her composure from the view she had taken in. walking in the door she quietly shut the door and admired the inside now, looking at pictures on the walls and some form of engravings.

Al took a seat at one of the tables, resting his feet and sighing. "Sure, is good to relax after a long walk like that. I'm still not used to walking under my own strength yet…" He said, casually and rubbing his sore muscles.

Violet turned to him and bowed. "I'm sorry for causing you any discomfort, Sir. It was not my intention to cause you any harm by forcing you to walk so far." Her head dipped low and Al instantly felt bad.

"No, its fine, it really is! Please don't apologize, see, I'm fine!" He quickly jumped to his feet, coming to her to reassure her, and accidentally kicked the table leg, tripping himself and falling into a flat sprawl on the floor. Dazed and a little embarrassed, he lay there and groaned on the floor.

"SIR!" Violet screamed, trying to catch him but missing and losing her own balance, falling and landing directly on Al's back with a violent *WHUMP!*.

Alphonse coughed instantly, the weight crushing his spine and making him groan for air. Trying to roll out from under her body he was pinned.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!" Violet yelled, scrambling to get back on her knees and off Alphonse.

Al simply lay there, holding his back and groaning unintelligibly. Her metal arms, heavy as they were, pinned directly into his ribs and were very sharp.

"Well Alphonse, if you were going to use my home you could have at least called first." A familiar voice called out as the door closed.

"Granny Pinako!" Al said shocked, a blush burning his cheeks being caught as they were without nary a warning that she was home. Scrambling to his feet and quickly walking over to her smiling.

"It's good to see you, Granny!" He greeted her softly with a genuine smile this time. Violet also stood and walked over.

"Well, aren't you going to introduce your friend, Al?" She asked, her pipe switching into her fingers as she walked further into the room towards the young lady. Observing her odd style of white flowing dress and blue cropped vest, she didn't look as though she were from Amestris to Pinako. The brooch in particular, was stunning the vibrant green emerald sitting high on Violet's chest made Pinako think back many years to when she had seen and held a gem that beautiful before. The memory was fond as she took her gaze to the young lady's face instead.

"Greeting Ma'am, I am Violet Evergarden." She curtsied slowly.

"You don't have to be that formal with me, though thank you for the gesture however." Pinako smiled.

"Thank you, Ma'am." Violet said shortly, and straightening her dress out slightly from the fall on Al.

"Granny, do you know where Ed is by chance? I was supposed to meet him here and bring Violet with me." Al asked, sitting down in a chair and relieving his legs for a moment, still honestly catching his breath.

"Edward?" Pinako asked curiously. "Yes, he took off about a day ago, he said he had some business in Dublith. I believe he said he was going to see Izumi Curtis, was it?" She paused, taking a slow pull from her pipe and looking up to Al, who appeared exasperated at the statement. "I'm sorry Al, but if you had called first he could have told you himself." She teased.

Al hung his head, defeated but understanding.

"Do you know when he's coming back?" He asked, running his his hands through his hair and sitting back and trying to sit a bit more upright.

Pinako tapped her hand on her hip and looked down, unsure. "He didn't really say when he left, he said he had business to take care of and it would take him a little bit of time to do. I'm sorry Al."

Violet just stood silent during this, unsure of what to do aside from travel to Edwards location.

"If you can guide me, I would like to travel and find him so that I may complete the contract for my hiring." Violet said quietly. Al and Pinako both looked at the young lady and blinked. Her dedication to her craft was certainly like Ed's own dedication to his research.

Al, finally asking to break the silence and to satisfy his own curiosity. "Violet, what is it that you were here to do?"

Violet shook her head slowly. "I am not sure exactly. The request was not specific to a particular task. I am not sure myself."

"Well…" Al started, looking to Violet and Pinako. "I guess the only thing to do is to take you to him. I haven't seen Teacher since after the Promised Day anyway, so it would be good to go and say hello." He stated, rubbing his head instinctively remembering many fights and sparring sessions he had the displeasure of being part of.

"Until you leave, you know you're free to the house as you see fit Al. I'm sure you and your guest would like to rest here until the train arrives in the morning." Pinako offered, starting to walk off into the next room. "You may want to go and visit your father as well, it's been a while since you've been home. Hohenheim would surely appreciate a visit." Her voice heavy she exited the room, leaving Al feeling slightly sullen and a little heavy hearted.

Violet stood by Al, and he draped his head into his elbow. She stepped forward a few paces and stood beside him, unsure how to assist.

"I think… I'm going to take a walk…" Al said, suddenly very burdened and emotionally distraught. Both of them appear to carry very heavy emotional burdens, and seeing Alphonse like this, it made her remember her own past. Nodding slightly, she placed her bag and typewriter down on the ground.

"If it is ok, I shall leave this here until we return?" Violet surmised that most likely she would not need it out and about. Al nodded, and wearily walked for the door.

They both traveled in silence, this time walking and moving slowly through the grass and the village, to a remote part of the village where no one goes often. The top of the hill, one of the tallest in the area overlooked a beautiful landscape swept by the rays of the setting sun. A landscape of golden fields and trees of bright and colorful auburn glistened as Violet and Alphonse trudged along, eventually stopping at a set of gravestones.

Al stopped and remained still for many moments, not speaking or saying anything, but clenching his fists together firmly. Violet looked upon those two headstones, the markers of the unfortunate passing of ones loved ones.

"Who…" Violet choked out slowly. "Who… are they?"

Al pointed to a grave on the right, a slightly weathered stone with two lines on it.

"This… is the headstone of our mother, Tricia. The other one… is our Father, Hohenheim." Al explained, and said tearfully, his eyes flooding with emotions and pain. Sobbing audibly and letting himself feel remorse and pain for everything that had happened over 10 years of time, Al couldn't help but be overwhelmed. Not visiting the grave of his parents since Hohenheim was buried, he'd spent a lot of his time trying to fix or undo the damage that had been caused.

Violet followed his hands and then knelt beside the 2nd headstone. Cleaner, newer and more recently erected, she could tell the grave had only been dug recently. The grass, it had only just begun to grow once more and the stone had no wear from rain or sun, no moss. She turned to look at Al, he instinctively turning away from her gaze.

Al remained silent another moment before taking a breath to calm himself. Kneeling himself at Tricia's grave, he looked down on the stone and the grass in front of it. Clapping his hands, and pressing them to the ground in front of the headstone, a bright faint blue light sprung to life, crackling and buzzing faintly as the ground glowed, and flowers began popping up and blooming right in front of Violet's eyes. A vibrant rainbow of tulips and wildflowers instantly grew and became mature in front of her eyes. The gesture was clear, even to her.

Alphonse smiled as the flowers bloomed over her grave. "After all this time… you never got to see what we could do, could you, Mother?" He said. His words were hard for Violet to hear, but staying by the graveside of Hohenheim, she didn't interrupt just yet.

"We did so much, we did everything we could to fix what we didn't understand. We were only kids when we lost her, but that didn't stop us from trying to honor and love her in our own way, even if we were reckless and dangerous in the process." Al explained, but Violet did not understand what he had meant.

"Sir, what is it that you wish to tell her?" Violet asked quietly.

Alphonse looked at her, puzzled visibly by her question.

"What do you mean by that, Violet?"

"What do you wish to speak to her, if she were here with you?" She asked, a bit more clarified this time.

Al pondered this for a time, looking up to the sky as the stars began to twinkle over her grave and light the dark sky with their distant radiance.

"I would tell her we were sorry. So sorry we were young, and too brave for our own good. We would have never tried to do what we did, if we knew what the consequences were. But had it not been for that, we would have never saved the world…" Al began to tear up again.

"What do you mean, save the world?" Violet was now even more lost. How could the loss of one parent lead to the salvation of the world?

Al choked up again, but this time he was genuinely scared. The knowledge he held in his mind, the regret and the pain of everyone that was hurt and everyone who helped them flowing back into his mind like thousands of daggers flying straight into him.

"10 years ago… before when we were kids… our mother died. We didn't understand what we were doing at the time, but, we learned alchemy. We were stupid, and Ed and I tried to… resurrect her. Bring her back to life and make her a new body." He said, gripping a handful of soil and drizzling it down onto one of the flower's petals and watching as it just bounced off onto the ground.

"We failed." He stated bluntly. "We failed, and as a price for trying to bring her back to life, I lost my body. Everything, head to toe. I should have been dead, but my brother, he took my soul and bound it to a suit of armor, and he lost both an arm and a leg in the process. I lived like that, I lived and remained as a soul bound to armor for 7 years, and this body, it… remained elsewhere.

"I'm sorry Mother… for everything. We tried to do the impossible. But if it weren't for that, we'd never have gone down the path we did. We would have never become stronger, and made the friends we did. We wouldn't have stopped the war that would have sacrificed us all."

"I'm sorry, but thank you."

Alphonse, his heart heavy but his mind at peace bent over her grave and smiled down at the bed of flowers that now reside on her grave.

Violet listened, wondering if his story was true, but discarding the thought and remaining stoic. Alphonse was very troubled, and clearly hurt by the actions that had been taken, but his words for his mother seemed pure. He had expressed true remorse for the pain that had been suffered, and the thoughts of bringing someone back to life… These were concepts that struck Violet and made a sick pit in her stomach. With her own desires and loss… to have a chance… to get the Major back…

Al looked up to Violet, remembering she was there, crouched next to the headstone of Von Hohenheim and smiled.

"My mother, Tricia, she was our world. We were naïve enough to believe that two kids from a rural town could bring life back to her. In the end, we learned what true love was, and suffering. We would have never had the strength to do what we did. I spend a lot of time thinking just how much we would never have been able to do, had we not been as strong minded as we had been. To commit the Alchemist's Taboo… We were in over our heads from the start, and that made us strong. Ed, he still thinks like an Alchemist… I admire him, I really do. Big brother, he feels the same, but he wouldn't change a thing. With what we know now, we appreciate the world that we live in much more, especially since it's still here because of him." Al concluded, and sat back, resting on the ground and looking down at the headstones.

"Sir, I am… having a hard time following everything you've said." Violet admitted. The words, she heard the words. But everything with Alchemy… transmutation… life and death… she couldn't possibly understand how difficult the world had become for these two young boys.

Al nodded, and after a few breaths leaned forward again over the grave and bowed to it slowly before getting up and moving to the other grave.

"Your words… for your mother." Violet started to see where he was coming from after digesting a bit of the information for herself. "You cared about her very deeply, and you miss her with a genuine pain in your heart."

"Yes. I don't think I could have said it any better." Al confirmed, a prominent and confident smile returning to his face.

"Have you… have you ever written any of this down or expressed this?" Violet asked. She felt more concerned for his own self. The story he told, it was dreadful. The emotions he had that sprung across his face were… vibrant yet distant at the same time. Violet was having a difficult time reading his body language and his words sometimes didn't make sense, but through it all, the simple feeling of remorse came through loud and clear, even to her. She understood and resounded with the simple emotion of remorse more than anything he had said to her thus far, and the weight in his words felt as though it would crush anyone with which they had not traveled the weight of his shoulders with.

Violet was moved by his passionate, yet subtle explanation of the history they had gone through. Alphonse, though feeling sad, appeared relieved. On their train ride here, he always had a small air of… discomfort. Violet had believed it was because of her, a foreigner, and someone from an unknown land. But it turned out, he was simply discomforted by his own thoughts, and the fears of returning home for what it sounds like the first time in a long while.

Alphonse stood at Hohenheim's grave, looking down at the tablet of stone and reading the name over and over.

"Dad…" Alphonse muttered, with a smile still on his face. The father he'd always wanted, and the father he'd dreamt of. He hadn't understood it then, but he did now. Looking to Violet, it finally clicked that he had been going on and on and she may be uncomfortable.

"Do you want to return to the house? Its probably much more comfortable than out here with the graves of my parents." He said, his weary smile returning.

"No, I can stay if that is what you wish, Sir." She replied.

"Please, just call me Al or Alphonse. I was never in the military like my brother." He said, finally showing his disapproval of the sign of respect.

For Violet, he was just being more confusing but his request would be honored like any other. She rose silently, standing beside the grave and walking towards Al.

It had gotten very dark, and the moon was shining bright over them now. It was surprising how much time had passed with Alphonse recounting his memories and talking over the graves of his parents.

"I wonder… if brother ever came to visit them?" He said, silently turning his head and walking away from the site. His back to Violet he slowly walked down the hill.

"We'd better get on back, I'm sure you're tired from your journey like I am.".

Violet silently complied, falling in behind Alphonse and following his steps heading back to the house just a few hills away.

The Rockbell Automail Shop looked somewhat different at night, with Pinako's single light shining through her window, the house and shop looked oddly vacant. Not the homey, and inviting place it was when it was lit up and shining in the sunlight. Did everything have a dark side in this land? Violet couldn't place her finger on the thought, but something seemed off, ever since she got to Amestris, a nagging almost… insatiable feeling had sat with her the whole time.

Just what happened in this land to make it so… broken?

Violet shook off the thought, Al was a person she was barely beginning to understand and didn't want to think poorly of him just because of some of the things he had in his past. Most of what he told her, what he opened about was very… deep and moving, positive yet… sorrowful. Her understandings of the emotions were still vague and felt distant but, she felt moved by his words.

Walking in Al immediately went into another room, leaving Violet in the parlor alone. She stood for a few minutes, looking around in the inside again and really taking in the room. Dark and mysterious now, the inviting clinic and home had turned sour somehow, and she felt a little on edge from it. Walking over to a lamp, she lit the lamp slowly and let it's burning orange flame seep out and expand into the room.

The small light danced for her, swirling in its glassy container like a sprite. She smiled, feeling a little more at ease as she looked around at the room she was in. In the corner, she noticed a small box, similar to the one she carried her typewriter in. Walking over she dusted it off, pressing her fingers to the sides of the casing. It was certainly old, and hadn't been used in many years, opening it up she found a pristine, and immaculate typewriter. This one of course, had a different key binding for the local language.

Her fingers, expert at their craft now, traced over the keys, an she began feeling much more comfortable where she was. Taking her hands, she outlined each key, looking at the symbols and clattering them with the tips of her fingers. The keys felt familiar, like riding someone else's bicycle. Not exactly unfamiliar but strange.

Taking a cloth, she dusted the case off and the keys, revealing the rest of the device. It was beautifully crafted, black enameled sides with gold embossment across its casing. The lettering was done in all steel, and hand painted with what appeared to be Calligraphic letters. Pressing down on one of the keys, it moved similarly to her own, but required less force to press down the keys than she was familiar with.

As she rested her hands on the device, she sighed gently, thinking about her current company. His story, so vibrant and soulful, yet so distant and damaged. She'd been here less than a day, but her experience left her tired and ragged. His story and their travels were plenty on her mind, and without any thought at all, she started pressing more keys. The familiar clicking and clacking of the device almost soothing, even though there was nothing getting typed now.

Alphonse in the other room heard the clacking and was confused. Grabbing the piece of bread from the shelf, he returned to the other room, seeing her in a pose in front of the old device, clattering it gently. He didn't interrupt at first, seeing her tinker with it, turning the dials on the side to adjust it, checking its functions and working it like a true expert.

After several moments of being watched, Violet finally caught sight of Alphonse in the distance, holding a piece of bread in his hands. Instantly feeling a bit of guilt for exploring without permission, she stood and bowed her head.

"I'm sorry, s—Al." She confessed, her hands clasped in front of her.

Al was instantly put on the defensive again, this girl, she had him thrown for a loop sometimes. Waving his hand and smiling defensively, he wafted away her fears.

"It's fine, that hasn't been used in quite a while. At least, I don't know of anyone who would have. Granny loves writing her notes in hand and Winry… she's been off apprenticing again so it's been sitting there. Its fine! Really!"

Violet nodded, returning to her normal stance and feeling somewhat relieved.

"I was just thinking, that if I am going to be able to fulfil my mission here, I may need to learn and use a typewriter that is from this land." She said, referring to her own she brought with her.

Al looked behind him and pointed to it, and Violet nodded in confirmation. He reached down and picked it up, the device much heavier than those they had in Amestris, much more efficiently designed and lighter. With an unconfident 'umph', he lifted it to the table, impressed that she had carried and moved it for so long with little relative difficulty.

Violet moved the other one over to the table as well from the corner of the room. Sitting them near side by side and comparing the two devices. The number of keys was almost exact, many of them falling in the same places, and some of the symbols appearing familiar yet different.

"Would…. You…" Al started lifting his hands a bit.

"Would you like me to try… and teach you?" He finished, although a bit more confident now.

Violet looked at him and nodded with a smile creeping across her lips.

"I would enjoy that greatly, Alphonse." She confirmed, sitting at the new typewriter and taking a position for typing. Sitting down now and getting comfortable, she removed her gloves for the first time, and Alphonse saw something that sent chills down his spine. Familiarity burst forth from his mind and his legs almost gave out.

She had Automail hands.

 _OOC: Thank you for everyone who reviewed and favorited my latest story. I've really enjoyed writing this one more than some of my past attempts, and I have really worked hard at making this one of my most serious works to date._

 _On a less serious note, I really wanted this out yesterday, as a birthday present to myself but, that didn't happen. I wasn't satisfied with it, and I wanted to get it finished proper the way I saw it. So today, here it is._

 _Thank you again for really taking the time to read these, and I want to keep publishing updates to this frequently because I do have a very particular framework I want this story to fit inside and I'd love to see you all read til the end!_


	3. The Words Which Draw The Heartstrings

Time. It's one of the things that many people think they have more of, and think nothing about.

Alphonse sat there, waiting and thinking. Moments and seconds turning into minutes as he watched this… angel… of a girl. No, not an angel, a Doll. As her title implies she is a true doll, stoically preparing for her duty and adjusting herself to her surroundings.

He looked at his own hands, and recalled memories, painful and sharp from the war and from his own brother. The arms that had he had carried himself, garbed in nothing but a hollow metal shell. Seeing another human being, a stranger, and someone so talented who had been given such treatment, such abatement, it was something he never dealt with well.

When in his armored form, Alphonse hadn't spent more time than that of thinking of himself, what he would do to get his body back, to be "whole" again.

Violet tuned her arms with such precision, it amazed him. This young woman, no more than 15, was just as adept as Ed was. In fact, Ed was probably younger than her when they lost their bodies in the first place.

Al's shock finally started to subside and the emotions that welled up in him from such a torturous and complicated journey began to fade from his face, but not fast enough.

Violet's head, garbed in her golden hair, almost perfectly pulled back turned, to face him catching a single, solid tear starting to roll out of his eye. Al quickly reached and caught it, but not before she saw.

"Sir Alphonse?" she said quietly, flexing her fingers and looking down instantly. "Have I done something to upset you, sir?" continuing her statement and looking down at Al's clenched fists. She instantly began to get up from her chair when he waved her down again and with a hesitation, she remained in her chair. Clearly, he was upset, but why…. Was it her? What had she done? Was this instruction hard for him in some way?

Questions only mounted in her mind while Al thought, and took a few deep breaths and calmed himself.

"It's… been so long since the war." Al started, his voice little shaky but albeit there. He looked up slowly and smiled to her to try and reassure her.

"The… War?" Violet mimicked, looking down at her hands again.

"Yes, the destruction we saw on the way to Resembool? That is left over from the Civil War in Amestris."

"I lost my arms… in a war too." Violet stated, lifting her hands and extending the digits, curling them in the air and looking at them through the dim candlelight in the room.

Alphonse was caught even more off-guard by this statement than by anything else prior. The fact that she was the same age as them, Himself and Elric, and she had also been in the military at such a young age.

"Well, I try not to think about it too much, it's a very sad story but it did have a happy ending! We did… we did win. My brother was amazing, and even though I wasn't there through the entire final battle, he was able to win the final battle by himself." His recollection omitted the obvious parts of his gaped memory from the event, but none-the-less Ed was the true hero of Amestris.

Smiling, he looked to Violet who only sat and retracted her arms.

"War… hurts people." Violet finally said plainly and without hesitation.

"Yes, it certainly does." His response was quiet and tender, and Violet finally pricked a small smile from it. Even in recalling the horrors they had both faced, it felt… good. Good to be able to connect with others, even if that connection was over something so painful. To come together, and understand.

Neither said it, but both felt the same. A quiet, but oddly familiar and peaceful calm fell over both of them and it seemed to truly break some of the tension between them.

"I… I wanted to understand what love is. I wanted to know, what feelings were. That's why I took up being an Auto-Memories Doll." Violet stretched her silvery fingers out and laid them gently upon the typewriter, turning back to it and straightening herself out.

"Well, maybe we should teach you how to read our language, shouldn't we?" Alphonse said, a small perk in his voice from the previous topic and thankful for the break to a new subject at the moment.

Violet nodded, and for hours Alphonse helped her through translating languages. Finding that the spoken language was so similar to that of her native country, it made it very easy to convert the written language as well. She did struggle a lot with some of the written verbiage and conjugations however after a whole night's worth of practice, Violet had begun to grasp a firm understanding of the written language in Amestris.

Alphonse was truly impressed. He didn't honestly expect that he would be any help but seeing her sheer dedication and talent for writing, it wasn't much of a surprise that she was able to pick this up with such speed and quality as she had performed.

Al took a few moments, late in the night to watch her hands move and to watch her speed and grace at the skill she took as a typist. Her fingers moved at a mesmerizingly beautiful speed, blurring almost as the keys were struck and the loud clicking of the machine met with the pads of her artificial fingers, then the thrust of the keys downward. Every stroke was beautifully choreographed to his eyes like a conductor of a symphony.

The only time he'd ever seen anyone do anything so dutifully and with such skill, were Winry and Ed. Winry's sheer mastery over the skill in her Auto-mail creation and Ed's skill with his Alchemy. Her motions were so deliberate, and with such fascinating precision that he couldn't even begin to believe he'd seen it done if he wasn't the one teaching her, sitting right there next to her.

Lifting the paper from the roll after she typed a few lines of practice text, she handed it to Alphonse, both hands clutching it, handing it over formally as she always had been taught. Her manners towards her craft were always precise and without flaw, even if she made mistakes.

Al examined the work, using a pencil to mark a few errors, but mostly they were inane grammatical errors. Her spelling, and beyond that the sentence structure was beautifully composed. Handing it back with the edits she took it and instantly set about correcting the errors and retyping the passage that was there again.

Alphonse had pulled one of his old journals out from storage, and was having her practice by transcribing his old Alchemical journal from when He and Ed were teaching themselves how to practice Alchemy. They wrote everything they did down, and he found it almost poetic that she was learning to write using his own notes they used to learn alchemy with.

This continued through the rest of the night, until the crack of dawn where the sun just barely began to breach the treetops on the eastern hills and shine down onto the house. Pained in their eyes from being up all night, they finally conceded to rest, Al simply passing out on the chair in place, still holding one of his journals in his hand and crossing his chest with it. Violet, after finishing the most recent paper looked at Al, who had begun to slump over and she corrected his posture in the chair, and grabbing a blanket, covered him with it.

The air wasn't entirely chilled, but it would be slightly more comfortable for him if he were at least covered.

Violet walked to the edge of the room, peering out of a small window and over the hilltop where they had gone the day before. The hill was illuminated beautifully, and the stones marking Van Hohenheim and Trisha were well illuminated, casting an eerie shadow over the rest of the valley where the town graveyard laid.

She reached for her brooch again, clutching it in her fingers and holding it tight to her chest, memories of Major Gilbert yet again flooding her head as she smiled. Her dedication to her work, her craft had come from that man. He had been the one who had insisted that she know how to read and write in the first place, and made her write her daily reports. Every day, scribbling every detail down, simply just to make her practice and get better. His criticism was usually calm and very direct as well, similar to how Al taught.

Violet knew this was something of a natural talent, and she was glad that it would give her something to work with, no matter where she went or how far she traveled. Her skills were very malleable and she could make herself useful no matter where she wound up or how far she travelled. She started to take some level of unique pride in this.

"I'm… I found a way to be useful." She said out the window, directing her attention to the graveyard but… picturing in her mind the dutiful pose of her dear Major Gilbert.

For a moment, she thought she could even see a figure, standing in a lighted Silhouette atop the graveyard hill, and her memories shifted again to his face, his smile. The Major was kind, and she knew in her heart that where she was, what she was doing. He would be proud.

She knew that to be true in her heart.

Quickly walking to a bench and seating herself, she curled up and rested, getting some time to relax and adjust herself to a comfortable pose while she awaited Al's return from sleep.

Almost as Violet had begun to sleep, drifting off and resting from her long night aside Al and typing the night away, Pinako came down from her room. Looking at the two young kids, worn out from their all-night session, she walked over and picked up the papers. Looking down at Alphonse, and then over at Violet, curled on the bench, she could only smile and be proud.

"Hohenheim, you really should have been here to see what your sons are up to." She smiled and took a few good puffs of her trademark pipe. The papers on the table littered everything, spilling over to the floor, scattered around the table and most of the rug under it as well. Even as Pinako picked up some of the papers more lay beneath them. This girl had typed and typed the night away, and made much progress.

Pinako traced along the edges and sides of the paper, and lay them down again for the kids.

"They always insist on working themselves to death, these Elrics."

Pinako admired them greatly, and as she stepped toward the kitchen she couldn't help but look at Al one more time and see traces of her dear friend in him. The vibrant life that Ed and Al constantly gave off was more than anyone could have ever asked for.

Hours passed. As Violet and Ed slept away most of the morning, Violet was finally the first to wake. Stretching her legs and looking back out at the hillside from her position, she could tell it was already beginning to be late in the day. Alphonse, still resting and laying back in his chair was propped up still under the blanket she had placed over him earlier in the morning.

Standing up was little difficult, the position she had slept in left an odd pain in her leg but it would soon pass with some mobility.

"Oh, so you're finally awake Miss?" Pinako called out from the kitchen, watching her rise and stretch.

"Yes Ma'am, I have awoken." Violet replied, walking to her and passing the oddly comfortably seated Alphonse.

Pinako worked at the kitchen table, making some small bits of sandwich for herself and the guests in her home. Her lips, still clutching the pipe securely as she worked quickly to finish the food for them.

"It's already late evening, where exactly were you planning to head out to?" Pinako asked, handing her a piece of sandwich on a plate she had next to the serving tray.

"I'm not exactly sure, but I believe we were to go to Rush Valley Tomorrow? That location is on the way going to… Dublith?" Violet said the names but couldn't be entirely sure. Having only seen a map very briefly she wasn't confident in her retelling of the information.

Pinako nodded softly and looked to Alphonse and then to her arms, noticing for the first time their construction. Instantly, her attention focused like that of Winry's, childlike and amazed.

"Would it be ok if I examined your arms?" she asked quickly, walking to Violets side. From her perspective of experience, Pinako was amazed by the quality and craftsmanship of the arms she had been gifted with. Violet lifted her arms for the examination, letting Pinako drift over, tapping on the metallic shield gauntlets that covered and guarded her precious inner workings.

"This was done back in your homeland?" Pinako finally muttered, turning the arm over and examining the delicate scrollwork on the arms plating itself.

"Yes, they were given to me following a battle in which I lost both of my arms, and Major Gilbert." Her voice was hollow, and distant from this place. Pinako instantly knew that the girl was talking from a place of deep sorrow and turned her arm over quickly, returning it to her control without further inspection.

"These are quite amazing quality, the Armor smith who made these for you must be quite the talented surgeon and mechanic." Pinako praised, quickly turning and biting her sandwich with her back turned to Violet.

"In truth, I have never met the man or woman who performed the surgery. I am still confused as to why the military had kept his name from me, but I trust it was for a good reason." Violet stated quietly as she quickly pulled the gloves she carried back over her hands and her sleeves to meet them and cover her arms as quickly as she could. She had finally had enough of people staring and observing her arms for this day and wished to keep others from prying for a time.

"The military hmm…?" Pinako grumbled as she swallowed a piece of her sandwich. "Don't tell me, you were a child soldier in the Military and used like a Dog too?" Pinako's words were painful to hear, and Violet's heart sank slightly when the bitterness flowed from her lips.

"Yes, I was, a Dog of the Military." Those words, they hurt immensely now. Obviously, these people, they had their reasons to mistrust the military but the fact that she heard those same words, over and over made her uncomfortable.

 _'Why did the Captain curse me with such a title?'_ Violet pondered this to herself and recoiled a step or two from Pinako and placed the table between them.

"The military, took much from Resembool. There is quite a bit of anger towards the Military both here, and abroad across Amestris because of what has happened. When the conspiracy involving King Furher Bradley became widely known, many people have mistrusted the Military. They took many lives, of those we love, and did unspeakable things. I lost… my only child, and Winry's Parents to the Civil War that eventually scarred this land for many years to come. You'll find that many on your journey here are as I am, and more so, angered with the Military for how much pain has been wrought recently."

Violet saw the pain, and the anger in Pinako's words. Not truly understanding the meaning of what she was saying but effectively seeing the pain that this grandmother was in affected her greatly. Not even 1 year ago, Violet's ability to sense such deeply held anger and emotion was limited to the point that she would miss it. Now, the anger and pain coming from every word Pinako said, they grafted themselves in Violet's mind.

"The Military, truly is a dangerous thing." Violet said and surprisingly, Pinako seemed to calm. The elderly woman's heart stricken with the pain of loss, and from having to raise the Elrics showed heavy as a solid chip on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry young lady, you shouldn't have to see that side of people, of strangers you have come to be of service to." Pinako finally admitted, turning and bowing slightly. "Please accept a humble old lady's apologies for troubling you so."

Violet nodded and quietly curtsied in return, not knowing really what to do, it seemed the most appropriate.

"It's truly a difficult burden to bear, I don't wish to cause anyone here any pain…" Violet said, and turned away from the table, looking to Ed.

"Well, maybe your presence alone, can help them express the feelings they haven't been able to say themselves." Pinako pointed out, her wise words returning in sharp contrast to the vitriol and hatred she had just been spouting out.

"Who… Alphonse?" Violet questioned, turning to Pinako yet again.

"No, Amestris as a country. Someone with your talent and ear may be exactly what someone here needs. You'll find your way, I can be certain of it." Pinako worked to reassure and calm violet, smiling as she spoke of the citizens and troubled souls that lived across the country. In that much, there was plenty of truth, and many who still needed some form of healing.

Violet's mind wandered back into the room and her eyes followed, locking sight on the typewriter that was still perched on the desk and firmly flanked with several stacks of paper and books.

"Would you mind… If I borrowed your" Violet started to ask before Pinako cut her off, enthusiastically at that.

"You may help yourself to it, and keep it as a reminder of what you are here to do. I have no use for that old thing, it's just going to sit here and rust until I die if I keep it here. Take it, and use it to do some good in this world.

Violet nodded and a smile struck her face, giving her some level of pride that she would be able to help someone, and by doing her job change someone's path.

"Is there anything I can do for you in return?" Violet asked.

"Well, I'm a simple old woman, I don't need many things but… I can think of one thing…" Pinako stated.

Several more hours later, Alphonse finally awoke, stretching and groaning in his chair. Looking at the table, he watched for a few seconds before saying anything as Violet was packing up the typewriter. Quickly, Violet picked up a small letter and slipped it in the bag as well, sealing the machine in its new home and carrying pouch, along with some extra paper.

"I guess that Granny gave you the typewriter?" Alphonse asked, yawning loudly and sitting forward on the chair.

"Yes Sir." She replied, and a smirk flicked upon her face as she finished sealing the bag quickly.

Alphonse looked out the window and back at the clock on the wall. 3pm, and daylight was still bright outside.

"It looks like it's almost time for us to head back to the train station and catch the night train to Rush Valley." Alphonse stated, his arms pushing on his knees to lift himself up and bouncing up to his full height.

"Yes, and then we should be there by morning." Violet stated, confident in her new journey's direction.

Alphonse nodded and headed upstairs, quickly maneuvering away from Violet for a few moments and returning with his own bag, shouldering it quickly and stretching the strap over his body. Seemingly already prepared, Violet walked to the door, standing beside it and waiting for Al to come with her.

"Leaving already Al? And not even staying to say goodbye this time?" Pinako chirped out, coming out of her workshop.

"Aww you know I wouldn't ever do anything like that Granny! Honest!" Al grinned wide and Pinako returned the mild facial gesture. Waving her pipe at him and in a quiet tone she reminded Alphonse "Don't forget to stop and say hello to Winry, she hasn't seen you in nearly a year now. It would be good to make time to see her, she misses you both greatly!"

"Of course, I wouldn't ever dream of not visiting when I had the chance!" He responded and threw his hands behind his head.

"Bye granny!" Al said, walking out the door after a few more words from Pinako that Violet couldn't overhear.

Turning herself, Violet bowed and stood before Pinako. "It was very nice to have met you, Ma'am".

Wordlessly, Pinako returned the parting and Violet walked from the doorway and closed it on her. Slowly a few tears came to Pinako's eyes, smiling for the first time in her lonesome in a long time. It was very good to see Al finally back to his old self. For many years it was hard, but his spirit had not yet returned. In time, maybe this new journey will be good for him, not just to escort the young Auto-Memories Doll but for his own mental health, and to start recovering from the horrors they had been subjected to through the years of hardship and the war they got dragged into.

Violet shut the door behind her slowly, grateful and elated to have met Pinako, she stepped away from the house, following Alphonse closely to the Train station. Unlike last time where they had stopped and talked along the way, this walk was different. In a way, it felt even somewhat somber.

Violet only spoke one time, asking if they would be allowed to stop and get something to eat on the way to Rush Valley, and Al replied that there would be a food car on the truck that would allow them to buy food and eat on the way. But aside from that, the stroll from the Auto-Mail Shop to the Train station was wordless, and peaceful.

Alphonse let his mind wander, thinking back to his times with Ed and the memories of the conflict they both shared. He remembered his brother so fondly, yet at the same time, there was something in his heart that still went unspoken. He hadn't ever said anything regarding the end of the war, and being released from the Gate of Truth. To be honest, Al hadn't even given it much more than even the slightest thought for almost a year, but the regret of not saying anything, it was beginning to eat at him.

Ed's journey of course wasn't over, and they were still close as ever as brothers, but the undying wish in Alphonse's mind was to find a way to pay his brother back for restoring his mind and body to the same vessel. Even after everything, Al still harbored the pain and resentment towards his brother following his encapsulation as a mere suit of armor, and his entrapment in such a cage. His salvation came as a direct result, and he still hated himself for ever doubting Ed. The memories flowing back to the fight at Warehouse 5, and the Butcher all still nagged at him, and he pinched himself on the hand.

He just had to be sure.

Sure, that this wasn't just a dream.

Sure, that this was really his body and no one else's.

Violet watched this action with great confusion and tilted her head. Choosing to say nothing, he did it several more times as they walked.

The train station however, came much quicker than when they left it yesterday, and just as they were walking to the pad the train pulled up and started accepting passengers to the overnight train to Rush Valley.

The train only had a few people on it, and was very roomy compared to the other train they had taken to get to Resembool the first time. The elegant designs of the fixtures were clearly made to show off a bit more class and luxury than a normal compartment, and the added features like extra cloth on the armrests made the entire car stand out from how Violet was used to travelling. In fact, she had only ever been on one other train of this quality, and she remembered boarding the train heading to the summit, when she lost her first pair of metallic arms.

Al lifted his bag and put it in the train's carry rack, and reached his hand out to Violets and gently grabbed the handle for her. Still in a trance over the beauty of the train car, Al was able to gently lift it from her grasp and put it overhead while she walked around the car, examining it.

Violet's eye drew close to an embellishment, a small green jewel embedded in the wall. Shining brilliantly, she compared it to her brooch, touching it and the wall jewel at the same time. They looked so similar, so striking it was hard to believe she wasn't looking into a mirror.

"These Jewels, are they common in your country?" She asked, turning to Al who simply shrugged.

From behind her, a Train Conductor walked up and astutely heard her question.

"Why I wish they were, this one is simply glass." She recoiled, looking at her own brooch and wondering quietly to herself.

"My, but it looks like the gem you wear is quite the real deal. You're never going to see that kind of sparkle from a glass jewel!" He praised the gem and its beauty while she blushed ever so slightly. No one had… ever complimented the brooch like that.

"T-T-Thank you, Sir!" She exclaimed, bowing slightly for him.

"Not a problem dear, but, can I see your train pass Ma'am?" He asked, and Violet turned to Al, not what he had asked for.

"It's no problem Conductor, she's on the train as my guest." He held out two tickets, with a prominent Amestrian Military Stamp atop the slip that the Conductor examined to his satisfaction.

"My apologies Ma'am, I do hope you enjoy the trip." He said, his gentle demeanor being replaced with a bit of sourness, and his tongue lashing lightly as he breezed by and down through to the next car.

Violet couldn't understand what she'd done wrong, looking down at the brooch she carried and wondering if… was it jealously? Or was he simply upset. Her blue eyes, sparkling just as much as the emerald brooch with a hint of pain in her looked to Alphonse for any answers he may have.

Al did know, but he didn't say immediately, patting the seat in front of him and sitting himself in their seats. As she did, the conductor hurried by, brushing against her shoulder and dashing off into the next car ahead heading for the Engine.

"Sir Alphonse, I…" She started, her pain clear now from her expressions.

"Don't call me Sir, please. Just Al, remember I wasn't ever in the military. That was just my brother." He reminded her, tucking the tickets away in the pocket of his jacket he was wearing.

"Al…" She said again and he waved his hand, a bit cross.

"Don't worry about it, he was just put off by the ticket I showed him. It's got the Military's Seal on it, and he obviously doesn't like the Military." Al spat, the same kind of distaste she saw earlier from Pinako, yet much less pronounced. Even Al seemed to be pained by the Military and his experiences working with them and his brother Ed.

"Al, why don't they understand how it is this country has come to the state that it is in? If everyone mistrusts the very Government…" She cut herself off, thinking about how poor the relations in her own country were and how similar they now appeared side by side. The pain and anguish experienced by those who had lost family, friends, neighbors and other relatives. Both countries suffer greatly from the pain of that loss and it was widespread.

Al just sighed and laid back, putting his head to the cushion.

Violet copied him, letting off a similar huff of apparent mis-content. Al opened an eye and grinned as she did it, and she copied him.

"Ed… he sounds like a great person." She said, and Al only smiled more.

"He is, and he's the only family I have left aside from Winry and Pinako. They practically raised us after… after our mother died."

Violet knew that this hurt him to say but he remained smiling, almost accepting of his situation and that of his own mother.

"Have you… ever considered telling him how you feel?" Violet said quietly, hoping she wasn't over-reaching her bounds.

Al opened both eyes and looked at her with a curious contentment in her statement. Something in that made him think long and hard about what she had suggested and he had concluded that he still hadn't ever brought up the Promised Day and its events that followed with his brother.

"No, not really. Ed and I, we kinda just have… you know… this… unspoken Brotherhood…" He tried to explain, but knew that he was only lying through his teeth and that he didn't have a true answer to her question. Violet's inquiry hit him squarely in the heart and he had to admit that, no, he hadn't tried to make amends with Ed and that this unspoken pain between them still existed. Al just never knew how to put the words together and present them to Ed.

He was no more qualified to tell Ed how he felt than anyone else.

Anyone in the world.

Except…

Violet?

Al's head started to spin for a moment and they he looked at her crystalline blue eyes with a sincere request in mind.

"Violet, do you think…" He asked, with a smile on his face.

"I would love to render my assistance to you, Alphonse Elric." Violet replied.

 _OOC: Thank you to everyone who has Favorited and Reviewed this new endeavor of mine. I'm writing this when I am currently feeling a bit ill but it gave me some time to really think about how I wanted this to play forward. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and Favorited, I'll begin including in each new chapter anyone who reviews and favorites as of the previous addition to this story. I write this for you to enjoy, and for me to write out my love of these series and express myself._

 _Thank you all so much for the love, and look forward to seeing you more!_

 _New Reviews as of Chapter 2:_

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_


	4. With Gusto! The Auto-Mailers Open Shop!

Quietly and into the night, the methodical and repeated bumps of train tracks slowly lulled Alphonse to sleep. Serene and peaceful, the moderately decorated coach car they were traveling in felt like a small home away from home at this point. His eyes dozed softly while the soft light of the moon glanced over his face and illuminated him to Violet's view. As he dozed, his calm and tranquil demeanor remained, into the night as Violet kept her usual, rigorous vigil.

Still trained as a soldier, still acting as she had in the rigorous warzones and battles of the military she restrained herself from sleep. Keeping her leather wrapped and silvered arms crossed, she remained attentive, but observant. The views were absolutely breathtaking, going through the moonlit landscape of Amestris. The night sky, vibrant and stunning as the moon slowly passed overhead and the stars became visible. The arid prairie floor had little detail, but a soft pale-blue light illuminated a field to their south.

Violet turned her head, looking out into this field and thought back, recalling a faint glimpse of a memory, of a day not unlike this. Her fingers gripped tighter, clasping herself as she took the moment, and recalled the face of a man most dear to her. The moonlight, striking against his cheeks and illuminating him only slightly, she could almost remember every detail of his striking appearance. Closing her eyes, she reached out with her hand to imagine him there, standing before her.

Within that one calm and serene instant, her mind allowed her to visualize and see him standing there. Her eyes closed tight, his auburn hair turned black by the pale light but his eyes piercing as she imagined them staring right into her. Clutching with her left hand, the metallic fingers wrapping around the Emerald brooch she wore on her neck. The memory, as powerful as ever, brought her a single tear as she imagined in that moment being able to take control of her younger self and reach for his face and to feel her fingers touch him before it was over.

Alphonse had started to stir and rouse, the bumping of the car jostling him awake slowly and he looked up quietly. Observing Violet, he saw her sitting and mimicking this action and looked at her with a big of fascination. Until now he had never seen her do anything out of the normal behaviors. With a glance he saw the tear forming in the side over her eyes as she continued pantomiming in the air with her hand held high and her face smiling despite the tear she began to shed.

Without a sound or a wasted movement, her face turned sour and her lips turned down letting a frown creep across her normally stoic and reserved features. The icy exterior Al had come to know as her normal persona finally broken in this one moment as he watched her hands reaching forward to an unknown goal. Only the moonlight to show him the scene, her hand was cupped, fingers stretched and hand outreached, almost like she was looking to grab something. Or Someone.

Not wanting to disturb her he sat in silence and kept his body motionless as she slowly returned her hands to her lap and her face, less contorted fell back into its normal doll-like appearance. A single tear shed, continued down her cheek and rolled to the tip of her chin and fell slowly like a small fragile gemstone. Without anyone to catch it, shattering upon her dress and for the briefest of moments staining the fabric dark in a unique pattern all on its own. Her hands collapsed back into one another to return to her seated position she preferred whenever not using them and for a brief moment to Al, the moonlight made her appear almost motionless and still.

Her frame and face, cool blue and with the appearance of frosted glass with the window cast across her gave the uncanny appearance of a china doll painted to perfection but cracked and broken.

For the first time in a long time, Al thought back to his own youth growing up, and without her ever saying anything, she made him really think about some of the pain that as a suit of armor he had endured night after night. Cold, alone and isolated with his thoughts countless times through their travels he had sat up keeping watch for his brother. The moonlight had become nothing more than another light source to him over his many years traveling and the loneliness that came with having been bonded to the armor suit had left him uneasy at nighttime.

The pair continued to sit with Violet unaware of being observed she slowly let her head drag and the memory of her beloved let her finally see comfort. Her arms tugged at her heavily as she gave into its pull and slumped to one side, resting her head on the red velvet cushion of her chair.

Al closed his eyes and letting himself think for a moment before falling back to sleep of his brother and Winry, their faces both passing in his memory before he let his mind drift away again and relax in the moonlight of the night as they continued their ride southward.

Just a few hours were able to pass, neither of them waking until their destination was nearly reached and the morning sun just beginning to peak out over the valleys and arid desert near their location. Violet was first to awake, the bright streaks of crimson sunlight shooting into the car and dazzling her awake. Sitting calmly in the train she stirred in her seat and let herself wake and relax, slowly taking in the gorgeous desert landscape.

Every day was a new location recently in her trip to Amestris and in only such a short period of time she had already been to the most beautiful locations she could have ever imagined. Her blue eyes cast upward as she stared into the distance, the rolling rocky hills surrounding them as they began to dive deep into the caverns and valleys of Rush Valley.

Remembering her earlier discussion with Alphonse on the train, she reached down and unbuckled one of the side compartments to check its contents. Making sure everything was secure, her fingers slipped in to count 2 small letters stashed in the small pocket as she refastened the buckle overtop of the pocket. The leather satchel on the side tight, she looked again out the window and watched the station pull around them, engulfing the train and presenting a narrow view of the station.

Among her observations Violet had missed any sighting of a civilization around the town, the station itself being somewhat of a surprise as they pulled in and the scenery changed from the vibrant rocky colors to a much more vibrant set of posters and advertisements in a moment as they finally came to their resting spot on the tracks.

Standing alongside her guide, Alphonse guided her, both wordlessly leaving the train and for a moment, being blinded by the bright sun as they stepped from the luxury of the transit train and out onto the pad. Looking back and forth, aside from some of the simple accommodations at the station itself, she could hardly say that there was anything more here than a simple station in the middle of a rocky desert. Violet looked the length of the station and could see out some of the windows, deep into the rocky terrain which was marred with crags and valleys as far as the eye could see.

"Sir Alphonse, is there not a town or village here?" She asked, walking the length of the train and curiously looking past the barrier deep into the wastelands that surrounded Rush Valley. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she was quite certain they were to meet someone here, but aside from the posters and a few people that had gotten off the train, it seemed fairly devoid of inhabitants from the look of the landscape she'd observed. When pulling into the station, it wasn't even clear that they were anywhere of importance, like Resembool except much more barren and inhospitably appearance.

Al chuckled for a few moments, waiting for the train to start its departure from the landing before directing her to the train itself.

"Maybe we should have gotten off on the other side of the train if that's what you are looking for." Al offered up, smiling as he led her across the landing to the other side of the tracks. What appeared to be nothing more than a few sets of doors with no windows and a very in descript wall offered no such help to Violet, who had expected more of the Auto-mailer's Heaven as she'd heard some people describe it on the train during their ride. Inclined to investigate further however she pressed on to the doors and let an almost childlike curiosity overtake her as she walked closer and closer to the heavy metal doors.

Emblazoned on them were carvings and depictions of the Amestrian people, various carvings depicting the capital, and a beautifully inlaid map of Rush valley all forged into the facing of the door itself. Etched into the door just below, a sign read to her "Welcome to Rush Valley" in bolded and frosty lettering, beautifully printed into the sheen of the metal. The craftsmanship alone was gorgeous and the details she observed in the carvings were so lifelike, it was almost like looking at the town itself.

"Is this where we are going, Alphonse?" Violet asked eagerly, a smile pricking from her doll-like appearance as she looked up to him for a response.

"No." He replied with a bemused tone. Pushing on the door and opening it to reveal the town, almost exact to the image on the door, just beyond. Rush Valley lay before her, and the bright and vibrant town exploded ahead of her as if the image carved into the door had just come to life. Each building, monument and feature carved perfectly so that the doors opened to the same scene but colored beautifully by the life and efforts of the townspeople who lived there. Spanning as far as she could see, the stark contrast of the buildings backed up to the cliffs of solid rocks divided the desert perfectly, creating an avenue nestled in the crags and expanding far beyond where you could see.

With a renewed and almost immediate gasp Violet walked forward a few steps and just looked in awe. In all her years, she'd seen many constructions of large size and scale that dotted the landscape of Leiden but never such an array and palate of bright colors that were used. The beauty of the rustic looking village of works man revealed much of their pride and exuberance and was only matched by the brightly sparkling wares and reflections off the many pieces of beautiful Automail and shop windows sparkling through the distance.

Alphonse stepped down from the door and walked a few steps in front of Violet who continued to take in some of the sights and the beauty of the village.

"Me and brother, we spent some time here during our travels." Al states, looking to the side of the station and watching the train chug along and disappear into the hills that flanked the valley.

"It's gorgeous." Violet finally was able to say, taking a step or two down and beginning to Follow him. The town's welcoming center and message board greeting them with another array of posters, layers upon layers of papers plastered across it and messages advertising Auto-mail upgrades and installations by a variety of dealers promising high quality parts. Al walked forward toward it and pointed up to a poster near the center, unpinning it and taking it down. Violet followed with her eyes but couldn't read it before he took it down and brought it to her.

"Atelier-Rockbell Auto-Mail. Sound familiar?" He asked, handing her the flyer and grinning heartily as Violet took the paper and read it over. Seeing the beautiful depictions of the Auto-mail that were created for the shop and drafted across the paper was striking. The artisan and mechanic listed was someone named Winry, Winry Rockbell.

"Yes, is that not Mrs. Pinako's daughter?" Violet asked, handing the flyer back to him and looking at some of the others plastered to the board.

"Well, her grand-daughter." Al said with a half sigh, looking at the paper himself and getting the directions to her shop. "It'll be good to see her again! Granny gave me something to give her once we find her shop here." Al pointed on the map at a small address in the far end of the valley where the Atelier-Rockbell Auto-Mail shop resided.

Violet was finally starting to acclimate to the environment, the busy bustle around the city center as shops all around them were just getting their wares set up and people seemed to be appearing from nowhere. Getting to the valley early in the morning had its perks and seeing the shops just starting to open their doors was a nice treat for Violet. Looking back to the board one more time, something caught her eye, in the bottom right hand corner a piece of paper stuck out with a strange symbol on it. Violet reached for it and pulled it out from under the mass of papers above it and traced it with her hands.

"Why does this say, 'Greed' on it?" She asked, looking at the paper. It held the sketched image of a strange man with very foreign features and odd clothing compared to those worn by other Amestrian's she had seen up until now. The paper also said something about a 'bounty' on it, but she couldn't make out some of the faded and distorted text written on the paper.

"Greed?" Al said with a curious pique of interest. Walking to her and looking at the paper he thought hard and remembered back to when they were first learning of the beings known as Homunculous. The picture brought back a very nervous feeling when staring at the face of a man they had followed through into the battles across Amestris. The sharp pointed teeth and odd facial features of the first incarnation of Greed were still preserved to this day on the paper and acted as an odd reminder of the past. Within moments Al was transported in his mind back inside his Armor Suit and he remembered everything they did chasing Greed up to his eventual demise at the hands of Wrath.

Al shuddered with a fear he hadn't remembered in some time. The memories he had of that time period were not pleasant most of the time, but that memory alone was the one he had tried for a long time to suppress. Stepping back and away from the information board he covered his face with his hands, trying to shield his face from Violet.

Unaware of his actions, she posted the paper back on the board. Little more than just curious, she looked back and was about to speak when she noticed she was alone. Looking back and forth, scanning behind her and around the board she could not seem to locate Alphonse. Confused, she started to walk around the information board and the area searching for her companion. He couldn't have gotten far in the short time she was looking at the board, but she was more concerned as to why he had taken off unannounced the way he did in the first place. _"Was something the matter with that poster?"_ she thought to herself as she rounded the corner of the train station.

She looked curiously down towards the platform and could see no human beings, no persons of any kind near the side closest to where they were standing previously. Standing at the corner of the building she surveyed around looking for his brown blazer jacket or his bright blonde hair but not seeing as much as a glimpse yet. Focusing her attention, she scanned parts of the crowd that she had the ability to observe, her blue eyes searching fervently for any trace of the companion she had now been left without.

Suddenly stricken with a wicked fear, her arms fell, and she let the box she carried dangle from her arms. Heart heavy and head hung low, the city immediately felt much less inviting and a surge of isolation and loneliness swept over her. In a crowd of people, she had become abandoned and alone far from home and anyone she could reach out to for help.

Alphonse hadn't said a word or even made a motion. He had simply disappeared almost as if he wasn't even there to begin with. Choking back a bit of pain and swallowing to clear her throat, she raised her chin again.

No.

There had to be a reason why he'd left, and Violet refused to belief the pain in her heart gripping her like an icy hand. She couldn't doubt him now after the past few days and their travels together. Something had caused him to leave or sprint away and leave her there and holding that against him wouldn't help.

Steeling her own heart, she lifted her gaze and breathed deep, her metallic fingers clutching tight to the case again and renewing her vigor.

"Winry Rockbell." She said to herself, looking out towards the long stretch of town. Maybe he slipped off on his own and she could find him there with any luck or at least find help. Taking a few steps up to the information board again, she pulled the paper from the board and looked at the map one more time, tracing the path with her leather gloved finger so she could recall it all from memory.

Her trek was short, walking between multiple stalls and various shop areas. Each one seemed to have its own charm, with many of the vendors or shopkeepers either standing outside and boisterous advertising their wares with great loud speaking voices. Several of them were shouting at each other and comparing their wares right there in the streets while holding and showing off various metallic body augmentation and replacement Auto-Mails for others to see the competition.

The city itself was quite spirited, and the hustle and bustle were impressive. Violet would have been more apt to search around had she not already been deprived her guide and companion for the journey already. Pressing forward, keeping her steely blue eyes locked in the shadows and continuously scanning for any hit of Alphonse that she could find.

By the time she had reached the other end of the strip of shops she had become disheartened in her search. The countless people she bumped past looked nothing like him. In fact, it was quite odd that there weren't many people here who had features like Alphonse did and he should stick out quite well like a ripe strawberry in a patch of new blossoms. Many of the townspeople had brown or grey hair and some of them had a deeply crimson eye color. Very few she observed had golden hair like his, and this rarity caused her to focus on looking for him in this manner yet still produced no results.

Standing still at the door of a shop her feet came together beneath her blue dress.

"Atelier-Rockbell Auto-Mail." She mouthed to herself as she stood under the large sign, adorned with wrenches and other symbols of craft that were put onto the sign. Her hand shook as she used it to reach forward and grasp at the handle of the door. Cautiously and hopefully she tossed the door forward, letting it hit with a fairly significant *BANG!* as it smacked against the door stop. She did this so carelessly it shook the wall and scared the shop keep who jumped from behind the counter.

A middle aged and dark-haired man looked at her, putting his hand behind his head and coming from behind the counter.

"My goodness, I know my door can stick!" He cried, coming to the front and presenting himself. Stocky and strong in build the man had an interesting demeanor to Violet who could only presume the man was in charge at the moment.

"I do apologize." Violet said courteously.

"Don't worry about it dear, that's no problem for a sweetie like you!" The man replied, giving a big and hearty grin to her as he rubbed his hands over his scalp. His appearance was similar to that of a blacksmith or armorer as she had seen but his face was covered in Make-up, almost like a theater actor would do. This slightly perplexed Violet, as in Leiden no men would ever wear such garnishments on their face unless performing on a stage. Violet's instant reaction to his odd charm over the door made her felt slightly more at ease however, as she walked into the store and closed the door behind her.

"My name is Violet Evergarden. I have come looking for a Miss Winry?" She asked, not sure if Winry was the person before her or not at this point.

"Oh my, you're A little early. That girl is still out looking for parts at this hour! I'm Garfiel however, and you are just a doll there, Look at you in that gorgeous dress!" The man put out a slight bow or was it a different gesture. Violet did not know, but she was slightly dismayed at herself for arriving when Winry was not there.

"Would you tell me when Winry will be back, there is something urgent I must speak to her about!" Violet spoke with a sense of urgency. Keeping her tone confident as she held her case firmly in her hand, eyes staring up at the man. Her concern for Alphonse was growing since he did not appear to be here, and her search was going to continue.

"Well I don't really know when she'll be back, that girl loves the markets when they open. She just brings back some of the most amazing finds, a real mechanic she's become!" Garfiel continued to gush over Winry with praises but this only sought to aggravate Violet in her current condition. While normally this would be appropriate, with her mind currently focused on finding her guide it was not helpful to her.

"Would you mind if I waited then, Sir?" She asked politely. Her gaze fell some and her frown deepened. Garfiel turned to her, and with a look of confusion pointed to a guest area of the shop.

"Sure, help yourself, normally clients will wait here but I'm sure we can make an exception for you dear." He said with a note of concern in his voice. "Why are you looking for Winry if I may ask? You aren't a client of hers I don't know about, are you? Someone on the side she doesn't want to bring to the shop?" He inquired, his more chipper attitude returning and a playful tone inhabiting his voice as he prodded her for information. Raising his hands to his head he stroked through his hair a few times, smoothing the glossy mat down again and fixing its appearance slightly.

"No, I am not a client. I will need someone to maintenance my arms at some point while I am here but that is not my reason for coming." Violet replied, distressed when turning away and walking to sit.

Garfiel stayed out from behind the desk, the poor young lady looking like a fine woman, but so upset, it made him feel odd. With his face A little contorted, he walked with her and escorted Violet to the sitting area where she laid her case down and sat, smoothing out her large blue dress around the chair and crossing her hands. Now that she had mentioned it, it was the first time he noticed her gloved hands, and the slight hint of metallic compounds under the hem of the leather.

"Why are you looking for my apprentice then?" He asked directly.

Violet looked down and gritted her teeth a moment, then looking up with a direct stare, finding his eyes with the concerned look she walked into the shop with and quietly took a breath.

"I came here with a friend, and he told me about this place. We got separate so I came here first." She said, still unsure of what to really do or say. She didn't know who Garfiel was and wasn't about to start trusting him yet.

"A friend you say?" Garfiel repeated, a confusion striking him as he crossed his arms over one another and started playing with a lock of solid black hair, twisting it with his fingers like playing with a small string toy. "There are certainly a lot of people who would recommend us but she never mentioned anyone stopping by the shop today." He prattled off, staring off at the ceiling for a few moments and getting lost in thought.

"We weren't coming here announced, I apologize for the intrusion but I need help to find him. We came here together and were separated a bit ago in the valley before I came here." Violet finally explained, clenching her mechanical fingers in frustration. Her fear of the situation was starting to take over, and she didn't know where else to turn. If Winry wasn't here, she needed to not waste time further, and Garfiel at least appeared nice enough. Maybe she could learn something from him?

"Who was your friend dear? No-one else has been to the shop this morning since we just opened the doors." Her host finally asked, shaking his head out of thought and returning to reality.

With a soft and quiet reply, Violet mouthed "Alphonse Elric."

With an elated and ecstatic face, Garfiel instantly became all smiles. "Ohhhh! You're here with one of the Elric brothers! Why didn't he call first, he's always one to be welcome here! Oh the dear he's such a dashing boy now that he's not in that suit! Why didn't you say so, Come now dear, we can host you be…" And Garfiel stopped, his elated and exuberant behavior halting when realizing that she was alone.

Violet watched and was stricken with a sort of dread when Garfiel's face twitched the expression he cast down on her was one of concerned panic now. Starting to realize that the situation was a bit more complicated than was initially let on Violet kept her gaze down and avoiding his.

"Where is our dear Alphonse?" Garfiel finally asked, a bit of weight in his words as the concern now voicing itself clear and cutting through all of the enthusiasm from his earlier comments.

"I… I don't know." Violet stammered out.

Garfiel knitted his brow, pacing back to the back of the shop and throwing up his arms as he paced back and left sight momentarily. Violet considered just running out of the shop and leaving since she was so out of place and vulnerable. Before she could make a motion Garfiel returned.

"Let's go dear, we have us a strong young man to find!" Exuberance returned and Garfiel's seemingly natural persona shining through once again actually cut through Violet's depression and anxiety over the situation and her separation from Alphonse.

She could only nod in response, smiling at the kind help of this person who seems to know the Elrics. Standing, she grabbed hold of the typewriter case and stood accidentally dropping a paper from her hand she had forgot she was holding. The paper fluttered to the ground after swaying in the air a few times and Garfiel picked it up.

"Oh, I remember this menace!" Garfiel exclaimed. "This was all over every billboard for weeks! This rotten old scoundrel!" Continuing to rant out at the sight of the Wanted Poster that Violet had still been carrying with her.

"I had found that right before Sir Alphonse disappeared." She volunteered. Motioning forward and slowly shifting her legs around she stood before Garfiel while the man paced and studied the paper.

"I seem to recall something about Al and Ed having to deal with this one… Yes, they definitely have some kind of history! And that other one, Scar. Now that man is a true and reformed person, he is just the most handsome Ishvalan ever!" Gushing again over

"I seem to recall something about Al and Ed having to deal with this one… Yes, they definitely have some kind of history! And that other one, Scar. Now that man is a true and reformed person, he is just the most handsome Ishvalan ever!" Gushing again over this new person, he stamped his foot to the ground a few times as his worked and calloused hands offered over the paper to return it to Violet. "Here, do keep hold of this one."

Violet accepted the tattered paper back pulling it back and sticking it in one of the deep pockets under her dress after neatly folding it up. She folded out her dress again and nodded, taking hold of her bag.

"Leave that here dear, It will be safe here in our shop!" Instructing her to behind the counter. With the flamboyant flick of the wrist, he pointed to a small space just beneath the counter itself where Violet walked and slowly placed the box down and slid it against the wall. With her belongings secure, and a new friend in her midst the modest shop's door was opened and she was ushered back out into the world back to her quest to recover Alphonse and find Winry.

Violet took another look up into the beautiful blue sky that had befallen the valley in the shadows and breathed deep. It would be ok, it had to be. She had come to this land and in just the very short time she had arrived, it had already been quite the whirlwind of events. Between meeting Pinako, talking with Alphonse, riding the trains across the vast landscapes that made up this land she had seen so much yet felt she hadn't even begun to scratch the real surface of the country. Her contractor was still someone so far away yet that didn't even seem to bother her right now as for the journey was taking her through places she had never considered.

Shaking off the feelings of some level of acceptance Violet stood on the front steps of the store while Garfiel locked up the Atelier-Rockbell behind her. Alphonse had been gone for over an hour now by her estimation and in that time, she still hadn't heard hide nor hair of anything regarding him since. Hopefully now with someone else on her side that knows Al however that this may take a little less time. That and the fact Garfiel seems to be a local to Rush Valley he should be invaluable to helping find their lost mutual friend.

"Where do you suppose that Al would be in this valley?" Violet asked with a hint of true concern in her voice. Still unsure of her environment to a degree and not knowing Alphonse as well as others may know she was still only guessing as to how and why they were separated in the first place.

Garfiel walked to her and then off the porch, tossing his strong arms up in the air and spinning in place appearing as energetic as he did in the store. Violet smiled at this as the man seemed animated like the world was his stage. Every movement was almost exaggerated to a degree and his every movement was like watching an elaborate play performed by an over-acting performer. With his thumbs wrapped under his suspenders he hummed slightly as they walked back into the main area of town.

"How long have you known the Elrics?" Violet asked, curious as to who her contractor and Brother were. Aside from meeting Pinako Violet had only really ever spoken to Alphonse himself since she had arrived in Amestris and hadn't met anyone else aside from Garfiel yet.

Garfiel though for a moment, pausing and looking up into the sky and putting his hand to his face as to rest his chin on his fist putting his pinky finger to his mouth as he pondered for a few moments.

"I would have to say it's been about 2 years now since they first came through Rush Valley. They were the ones who brought that DARLING Winry to me, and she has become an absolute star here, just one of the family here!" Garfiel started gushing again which made Violet smile at the virulent character and flamboyant attitude he had. In Garfiel's defense Violet did find the attitude quite charming and relaxing at times. She had not met anyone either in Amestris or yet from Leiden who had ever been as free spirited as Garfiel attempted to be.

"That must have been enough time to have passed that Alphonse was still his…" Violet didn't know how to say what she was thinking as she recalled him being a suit of armor. To be honest to herself she didn't quite understand what he had meant when he told her that in the first place however she had not questioned what he had meant at the time. Now, trying to tell someone else, she found the words difficult but as she started to have doubts Garfiel turned on a dime to face her.

"Yes, that was it! Back when that boy was just the hollowest shell of a suit! He was so kind even then, quite the honest soul! He was always so attached to his brother and they were quite the duo. They even helped reform Paninya. My my, that girl was such a little scoundrel until they showed up! Always snatching from other people's pockets what were we to do with her, the little orphan. Oh, dear her antics were always getting someone miffed!" Garfiel rambled on for a bit longer but Violet tuned him out as she looked down an alley she could have sword she'd caught a glimpse of a golden mane of hair.

Garfiel turned and raised a brow as the girl standing with her hands clasped, her head turned down the alleyway. Looking to see where she was looking down to he too saw the golden hair disappearing into a shop.

"Was that…?" Violet started to say, her feet starting to move on their own and taking her forward towards what she had just seen.

"It could have been…" Garfiel started to reply, not having gotten a good look either as they both started walking, and Violet took off into a near sprint, her feet propelling her forward quickly and nearly effortlessly, despite the dress she continued to wear as she ran after the small shimmer of hope before she lost sight of the head of hair she had seen.

Violet looked and searched the corridor as they approached a small shack with windows stacked high of large boxes visible from outside and parts of Auto-Mail scattered about on makeshift racks and stalls. Inside, someone with a bright lock of blonde hair stood obscured by the window. Violet, seeing this, rushes inside and swings the door open quickly.

"Alphonse?!" she started to exclaim as she thought they had found him. Looking however stood an elderly man and a young girl who had blonde hair.

"Al?" The woman responded, looking slightly shocked at the intrusion Violet made into the shop.

Visibly saddened, Violet recomposed herself and bowed slowly to them both. "I am sorry, I thought that you may be someone I have been searching for. Pardon my intrusion." She asked, beginning to back away and walking out of the shop. Turning to leave she grabbed the handle of the door and walking back out of the store it became stuck.

"Who are you looking for, who is Al?" The woman asked, approaching Violet further and continuing to hold the door open.

Violet tried to back away again, the young woman appearing quite upset all of a sudden.

"I do apologize for my intrusion it was my mistake to rush in." She tried to apologize again and leave the shop but her path was blocked again by the woman standing in her path and blocking the door now. She was only slightly taller than Violet, with deep royal blue eyes and shoulder length blonde hair. Maybe just a year or two older than Violet she had a very quick temper as she was getting visibly upset and Violet did want to dispel the tension.

"Why are you looking for Al?" The woman asked, crossing her arms and bearing down onto Violet for answers. Not knowing what to do, Violet tried to swallow and answer her question.

"Al is my guide, we became separated and I had thought I had seen him entering this shop. It was my mistake, please let me go." Violet asked, bowing again and attempting to disengage from the upset woman infront of her.

After a few tense moments she let go of the door. "Oh well if that's all sorry, I thought you had meant a friend of mine." The girl said, stepping back from the door.

Still in the doorway, Garfiel finally caught up with Violet and peered his head in the door.

"Oh, dear me Violet you are quite the sprinter. Would have taken me ages wearing a dress like that you sure have some power to those legs!" Garfiel stated, gushing again.

Recognizing the sound of Garfiel's voice, the woman shouted out the door to him and peeked her head out to see him.

"Well Well, Winry! No wonder we were confused!" With the statement, Violet looked back to Winry, now recognizing her as the young lady Al was supposed to be taking her to meet and immediately bowed her head.

"Garfiel! Hey. I was just getting ready to come back to the shop, funny you should find me before that." Winry states, smiling at her approaching Mentor. "Wait, why are you here though, do you know this girl?" She asks, trying to back up the conversation.

Violet responds, a bit more composed now that the tension has passed, "Yes, I met Garfiel here after I became separated from Sir Alphonse earlier today. We have not been able to find him since." Violet explained turning to Garfiel who nodded in confirmation of her story.

"Al is here?" Winry asked, almost shocked. "He never comes without calling ahead or at least letting me know! What's he up to… wait, where is he?" Winry's brow furrows instantly realizing what they were doing now in looking for Al.

"Well he does appear to be somewhere but this young lady has lost track of him." Garfiel explains, letting Violet catch her breath for a moment.

Winry remains standing in the doorway staring out slowly and looking out at the girl in the blue dress and Garfiel joining with her. With some what of a huff, she walked out of the alleyway shop and passed both of them, rushing out into the sunlight as it lit up and reflected off of her brightly shining golden hair. Slender and muscular Winry tried to dress comfortably for the hotter weather, preferring a fair colored pair of overalls to Violet's much more conservative dress. With a quick motion of her wrist, she flicked a large wrench she was carrying up over her shoulder as she looked back over it to Violet.

"So… where did Al go?" She finally asked, letting her frustration roll off her shoulders and rubbing a finger against her temple slowly.

Violet looked to Garfiel who just stared off into the distance, avoiding the young ladies pleading gaze. Knowing he wasn't going to jump in and help her she walked up to Winry and with a definitive motion reached down and pulled out the folded poster she had picked up earlier.

"He disappeared shortly after I found this on the bullitin board just over there and I lost track of him." Violet handed over the unfolded paper with the picture of Greed to Winry and pointed to the main information board near the city center. Anger seething up, Winry instantly crushed the paper in her grip and threw it to the ground. Violet rushed to pick it up as to not lose it as Winry wordlessly stormed off leaving both Violet and Garfiel looking perplexed as the blonde hair hung and swung violently as she flicked her head back and forth.

"What do you mean, Lost track of him!" Winry starts yelling and waving a wrench she was carrying in her hand around. Quickly exasperated again and looking to Violet she rubs a finger against her temple and tries to soothe her exploding anger.

Violet looked to Garfiel who just quickly turns and looks away, pretending to be innocent as she turns back to face a now angered Winry.

"Sir Alphonse, he has been my guide since I arrived in this land just a few days ago. I was here with him, on our way to see my employer Edward." Violet begins to elaborate. Winry's face goes a bit pale when she says this.

"Wait, so you're the writer Ed put out for from that country west of Drachma?!" Winry yells out, banging the wrench against the door. "DOES NOONE TELL ME WHATS GOING ON ANYMORE?! I mean I expect Ed not to but Al too?! What does a girl have to do to get just a little bit of information out of these two!" Winry keeps slamming the wrench on the door out of frustration making Violet jump with each repeated strike until she finally takes a breath from yelling. Her blonde and spiked bangs starting to unfurl from a black hairband she wore over her head and cheeks flushed from getting worked-up, Winry finally stopped to take a breath.

"Winry you know everyone always does their best, sometimes things just happen, calm down dear." Garfiel tries to talk at least a modicum of sense into his apprentice and business partner as she takes another breath and lets the wrench fall to her side. The heavy and visibly worn appearance of the wrench told Violet that this wasn't the first time she's lashed out at something with it.

Violet and Garfiel stood staring in sheer amazement, watching the girl start to pull away off into the village before stopping dead in her tracks. With her body facing forward and her posture changing slightly, shifting her feet she swung the wrench in her hands a few times. She simply twisted her head and shifted her feet to bring her sneakered feet together as she calmed herself down a few moments.

"Well… are you coming or not?" Winry asks over her shoulder.

"Coming?" Both Violet and Garfiel ask together.

"You want to know where Al is right? I have a pretty good idea where he went." She says, hoisting her wrench up over her shoulder as she turned to walk away, her body swaying against the sands and rocks in front of her in a mesmerizing walk as she quickly led them away from the alley and back into the main part of Rush valley.

Violet and Garfiel wasted no time catching up and together they began to follow her up a side path and away from the main city. Violet walked up and away from the city square to an isolated and seemingly unused path. This path took them high into one of the adjacent hills with a bluff at the edge of the road cordoned off with a large wooden fence.

Violet took a few steps towards the edge and raised her hands to place them on the barricade as she looked down over the town. For the first time since she had arrived she was able to see the entire city at once with all of its beautifully colored houses in the distance giving a beautiful rainbow in the desert. Like how she had seen it coming out of the train station a few hours ago, but now seeing it from up high she could see almost the entire town, sparkling with all the shops selling their wares and glistening with movement.

Looking up to the sun, she estimated that it was about midday now and the town had simply come alive. The stunning vibrancy and the life in this small isolated town was truly brilliant and for some reason, it made her think of home. Reminding herself of something she had been told once before as she reached up to run her fingers across the emerald brooch she wore on her chest and she smiled big.

 _"Live… and be free."_ As she closed her eyes she heard his words again almost like a whisper in the wind itself. The serene landscape was enough to sooth her mind for a time and help her relax. Falling on the comforting words of her mentor she stepped back from the barricade.

"Are you ok?" a concerned voice finally asked out. Violet turned with a bit of a startle as Winry and Garfiel were both standing behind her watching her. Unbenounced to her, she had forgotten for a moment that she had company with her and stopping to stare off into the city wasn't exactly on their roster of things to accomplish today.

Violet simply smoothed her hands over her dress and bowed her head to them both. "I'm sorry, I did not wish to delay us." She said with a slight frown.

"Well let's get going, you got us all worried about Al, let's go find him. Kay?" Winry offered, a bit of a reassuring smile offered to Violet as she nodded and they continued on up the winding path.

As they walked, a small wood-built cottage stood in their path a good distance away. Violet could only assume that is where Winry expected Al to be at. The party increased their pace as they went downhill, approaching the small cottage in the mountains, away from the rest of the village and placed in a very reclusive area which by examination of her surroundings Violet predicted it would be very difficult to approach from any other direction. With steep hills and deep cliffs there only seemed to be one real road that could approach this location.

Sure, enough as they approached, as predicted Alphonse was sitting outside of the cabin. His shoulders slumped and his head down like he was asleep. He was asleep, they walked closer and saw him leaning, his shoulder pressed against the wall of the cabin as he dozed in the sunlight.

For some reason Violet didn't feel at all upset now seeing him peaceful like this. Even though he had left and abandoned her she got the feeling that he had some weight on his shoulders and seeing him relaxed it put her mind at ease, at least for the moment.

Winry however was not so composed. Seeing all relaxed she started stomping towards him and with what had happened earlier in the day, both Garfiel and Violet chose to stand their ground. The scorn and fury she put off with each step made Violet cringe, even as a battle-hardened soldier her intimidating aura she put off was something she did not want to get in the way of.

With a simple motion Winry hoisted the long metal wrench from her shoulder, letting it slide down in her hands and catching the bottom of loop. She firmly grabbed it with both hands and wielding it like a bat she raised it smacked the ever-loving hell out of the wall of the house she was approaching just above Al's head.

Both Garfiel and Violet were shocked with their mouths falling agape. Instantly they both looked at each other and without words their expressions both said the exact same thing. _"I'm so glad I'm not Al right now!"_

Alphonse, for his sleeping self, was violently and immediately awake. The sound and the vibrations from the wrench hitting just above his head were enough to make him jump directly to his feet and entering a combat stance ready to fight. Bleary eyed as he looked up and got his bearings he slowly looked up from a pair of shorts he was able to focus on until he found her face, looking down and golden hair framing a shadowed set of eyes, menacingly cast from the sun staring almost down through her hair and illuminating her silhouette from behind. "WINRY!?" Al called out in surprise. Within moments though her fist flew, striking him right on the top of his head as he fell to the ground biting into the dirt and dust on the rocky terrain hard. His head hurting and brain confused he decided to lay there and breathe for a minute while he recovered from the near concussion she delivered with her single blow.

"HOW COULD YOU!?" Winry yelled out and waived her wrench like a toothpick in the air. The shadow it cast waved over Al enough to make him blink several times and wince thinking he was about to get hit again. That never happened instead Winry kneeling down beside him and rubbing his head, and he winced a little further, the pain of the hit still there as he started to attempt to get up.

"What do you mean?!" Al Groaned, slowly kneeling up and regaining his vision and seeing Violet and Garfiel standing beside her. Dread appeared to come over his face when his vision had fully returned and his soft blonde hair was stained with the dirt off the ground. He shook some off and wiped his face with his hands trying to remove some of the grit and grime as he regained some sense of composure.

"How could you go and leave someone alone in the city? That's so unlike you I don't even know what to think!" Winry yelled, still waving the heavy wrench and making Al visibly uncomfortable as he kept eying the large metal tool likely afraid of being walloped with it again.

His eyes eventually fell down to the ground and he developed a reserved and depressed look. Violet stepped forward and joined Winry by her side not holding the wrench and looked up to Al. Silently and with almost no expression at all similar to a porcelain doll he had once seen she looked into his golden rimmed eyes with her large and expression filled crystal blue ones. For a moment, for one instant, Al forgot just about everything about what he was afraid of and was instantly brought to the verge of tears.

Fear as it may have been drove him to run off, but that fear and those experiences shouldn't endanger others. Violet was his care, and now his friend and he'd just abandoned her.

Violet said nothing but simply looked up to him, her innocence portrayed in her stance and her appearance. Picking out the paper she still carried and slowly unfolding it, she held it out to him still folded once as he shook his head in silence to try and refuse it. Again, she pushed it forward, the tattered, worn and ragged paper still intact by some miracle for as long as it had been plastered to the wall. Maybe it was the dry environment they enjoyed or by some other happenstance but it had survived all this time like his own pain. Raising her hand just a bit more and stretching her metal fingers to the point where real hands would feel uncomfortable with the exertion she continued to insist.

Even Winry in her enraged and protective state was silent, watching Violet. She looked again at the paper that was being held out, remembering her own interaction with Greed, and her kidnapping with Ed and Al. She could certainly understand some of the memories she shared with him but nothing that would cause her to run away like Al had.

They all stood their quietly in the mountain air and the open sun. Several clouds sailed in the distance but provided no cover or shade as they all stood out in the sweltering sun. Alphonse finally broke with a single tear rolling down his cheek. With the failures of the past and the present both staring him in the face quite literally, Al finally erupted with emotion and broke down, sinking back to his knees in front of both the women. Confused, they turned to look at each other and then down to Al who never said a word before sinking to the ground.

"Help me get him inside…" Winry said softly. Violet did, reaching down with her hands to grab one side of him and Winry the other, helping him back up and guiding him inside the cottage. Garfiel, still standing in the back rushed to the door, opening it up and letting them inside. No-one appeared to be there at the moment but Garfiel was quick to knock anyway just to make sure. Helping Al along into the home they sat him down at a simple wooden table, covered with various bits of metal and several Auto-Mail pieces scattered about in a fairly sturdy chair.

Violet took a few moments to look around, studying this place and its rather drab and rustic appearance. The overall lack of personality showed as starkly as the interiors of other buildings and the trains that she had begun to grown accustomed to in Amestris and it was quite interesting to see someone living such a humble and reduced lifestyle. There was a crib in the corner of the room though, one of the only things to suggest that a family lived here but aside from that it was just a small, cozy mountain cottage.

"Alright Al, whats the matter with you. Spill it!" Winry said, her demanding and concerned tone starting to re-emerge now that they had settled down. Violet took a seat at the table, retaining her posture at the time and regaining her stoic expressions that she had come to be known for. Her hands rested lightly on her dress as she watched Winry and Al start bickering a little. She felt a little bad for Alphonse, she did not mean to get this much emotion and drama started. She had only meant to make sure he was ok and find him so nothing bad happened.

Starting to feel like this may have been her fault for going after him in this way, she started to sink back into her chair, not really paying attention to the conversation at present.

After some of Winry's yelling died down, Violet looked up and handed the paper she was still carting around to Al, without really a question or anything just handing it to him. Hunching forward he grabbed the paper and silently stared at it. His golden hair bent forward from the weight of the world pulling down on it and his expression contorting again into a mixture of obvious internal pain and sadness. Winry herself took a seat beside all, facing the other direction at the wall and letting things die down, while Al took a moment to compose himself.

"Martel…" Alphonse finally spoke, in barely a whisper.

Winry Looked up for a moment, and then to Al without a word after he spoke. His face contorted and his eyes looked at the paper as he began to tear up. Violet sat and watched, Al refusing to face either of them as he simply stared at the paper with his thoughts running amuck. Winry began to understand that something terrible had happened and like many things that Ed won't talk about Alphonse had his own demons he still hadn't faced yet.

With that realization, she put her head on the table and bumped her shoulder against Al's.

Al barely noticed as he stood up and walked the room for a moment rubbing his head from the blow she'd given him earlier. His hands shaky and his eyes full of tears now, the room felt like a graveyard. Violet could see his clear and visible pain mixed with the tearing guilt of a history steeped in war.

War… It brought nothing but pain it seems, even here. Good people who are forced to endure horrific things, painful memories and decades of shame and shock. Violet clenched her fingers and ground the metal against itself, rubbing harder and harder together.

She couldn't take this feeling she had inside herself. The desire to reach out and help and take it away was nearly unbearable as she stared down into her blue dress. This had all been her fault after all. If she hadn't grabbed that paper from the billboard, if she hadn't just shown him his own past.

No.

 _"It's not my fault."_ She reminded herself, screaming from the inside to herself. The child of her innocent mind screaming, clawing at her insides to help him. The smallest notion to push forward and make some sort of gesture was nearly unbearable in the silent mourning felt in the room. She had only found a paper, it was far from her fault that Alphonse had been put through that situation and she could only sit and watch as he relived the pain and agony.

But, maybe she could do something.

Choking back her own tears, her own violent and emerging emotions she straightened her back again and looked to Alphonse.

"Alphonse, what would you like to tell Martel?" She asked firm and stoically.

Winry blinked, unsure of what she had just heard and Garfiel joined her. Neither of them understood what exactly just happened but between Al's sobs, he looked to Violet with tears in his eyes.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you."

Hours passed, and no one said a word. Alphonse would occasionally get up and pace the room, but sit down wordlessly at the table, his hands always grasping the paper tightly in his grip and never letting go.

Hunger gripping everyone in the room by this point, Winry stood at last, and walked to Al and put her hands on his shoulder. Without argument she was able to pull him into her arms and hugged him tight. No arguments or fighting and Al simply collapsed into her after being unable to hold himself up any longer.

"Hey Al, why don't we go back and find somewhere to eat?" She asked and faked just the smallest of smiles. Only managing a simple nod Winry stepped back and looked to Violet, who had simply remained observing everything as Al paced. Not wanting to interfere or do any further damage she was content with waiting for Alphonse to speak which he probably would later. Even for Violet who avoided showing weakness and hunger with people had to silently admit to herself that she too was starving.

The party of four slowly departed as they put the cabin to their rear. Walking slowly, they returned down the same path they had used to get to the place isolated in the mountains. Strolling gently along, Garfiel started humming something softly. Trying to at least alleviate any of the tension possible, the humming did reach everyone's ears and pleasantly perked up Al's whom was still a little solemn from the earlier event.

As they approached the top of the bluff that Violet had stopped at before, she saw the edge of the sun peaking over the ledge and it drew her back in. The gorgeous sunset, cresting over the edge of the tallest peaks as it became a burnt orange in the distance cast orange shadows across the town below and illuminated the hills above in a beautiful crisp auburn. It was almost like a story, the gorgeous countryside she observed made her think of the time she climbed the central bell tower in Leiden with Lecoulia her friend from when she had just started trying to become a Doll.

" _I want you to see this, this is what all those men fought for."_ A memory of a whisper brushed past her ears and she was called to the edge. For the second time and what seemed like someone dragging her by the hand to it she returned to the fence and overlooked the cityscape and took in its beauty.

"I can see it now." She whispered to herself, touching the brooch she wore but now cradling it in her hands as if it were his hands.

Startled, she turned to her side when Al's hand landed on her shoulder as he joined her. Crossing his arms and leaning on the side of the fence, he calmly smiled, looking out over the city with her and taking in the stunning view. With Greed's portrait in his hand, clutched and folded neatly back into its form, he gripped it tight and held onto it as he looked down into the orange colored abyss.

"If we keep on down to the shop, you aren't going to go missing on us again are you Al?" Winry called out behind them. Obviously hungry and not wanting to stop again, She and Garfiel waited a few steps away.

"Yes of course, I won't run off again!" Al replied, waving. "We'll be down to join you in a bit, I'm just catching my breath is all." With a trademark gentle smile, he turned back around as Winry and Garfiel proceeded back down the path.

Al and Violet watched them walk down and away, making their way down the rocky terrain with what appeared to be ease. Turning to Violet, Al finally spoke, his voice cracking at first but getting more confident.

"Martel. She was… someone who I knew back during the fights, and we actually met her not far from here the first time in Dublith." Al said, a somber but steady tone escaping his lips as he started to tell Violet what was on his mind, what had been on it for a long time.

"She was your friend, I take it?" Violet inferred, taking a few mental notes along the way.

"Not… exactly. She worked for this man, Greed. They actually kidnapped me and Winry. But Martel, she wasn't a bad person. Just in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was experimented on, changed into something… inhuman." Al struggled to recall some of the memories from that time, so much of it he had tried to forget but the emotional struggle and pain was still all too real. No matter how much time passed little moments always resurfaced and he instantly regretted trying to ever forget the faces of the people he knew, especially Martel.

Violet raised her head in confusion but didn't speak yet.

"Martel died… inside me…" He said, unsure how to really explain the situation properly.

"When you were… a suit of armor?" Violet replied, trying to make sense of what he meant and in a shock, Alphonse looked to her and nodded in confirmation.

"We were under the Amestris Central City Sewers and… Several of her companions were fighting King Furher Bradley. I tried to protect Martel, I tried to save her. I kept her trapped inside my armor body but.. Bradley… he…" Al started sobbing between his words trying to describe what he'd experienced.

Violet surprisingly was following along with his story and was able to at least understand what he was saying, nodding along and continuing to remember notes of what he had experienced for later.

"He stabbed her, pushing one of his swords down through my neck and killed her… inside me…." His eyes full of tears as he recalled one of the most trauma inducing events he'd ever experienced. Flashes of memories came back from that time, recalling how he felt the weight of her body sliding against the inner panel of his armor, looking down and seeing all the blood pouring out and over his entire lower half it made him sick to think about it.

"I woke up hours later, I don't remember… everything but… I did remember as they took her out. Pulling her body from me… pulling and cleaning her out of…" He couldn't continue on, the memories so real. He touched his hand to his stomach, feeling it and reminding himself that he was a real person and this was his real body. That was his body when he was a suit of armor, nothing more. The hollow space inside of him, wasn't really his insides. Taking some deep breaths, he tried to steady himself again, still horrified about what had happened.

"Seeing the poster… Seeing his face, before he died, before Roa died… before Dolcetto died… It's something I've tried to hide away ever since." He said this while wiping his tears away, sniffing quickly.

"They asked me to save her. They asked me to protect her. She died, and I couldn't do anything to stop it." He said, returning his hand to his belly and rubbing again just to make sure he was still whole, still human.

Violet breathed slowly, looking to him and smiling the faintest of smiles. "You don't need to carry that burden alone anymore." She tried to comfort him, raising her hand toward her mouth a little, unsure of whether that was the right thing to say at the moment or if she was making things worse. She turned and looked out over the sunset one more time and tried to breathe away some of the stress and pain. Memories of her own forced combat flooding back through her mind at the thought of someone dying in horrific ways such as how he described.

Alphonse was somewhat stunned and taken aback by her response. The scars of the war may not be visible but this girl, this beautiful Doll, she was just as messed up as he was in the head. War heroes alike their pain was the one they shared on the inside and for some reason that made Al smile. Joining her, silently staring off into the sunset he couldn't remember the last time he'd looked out and just taken in the sunlight and the distance.

Violet still didn't know what her reason for being in Amesteris was but she was quickly making friends. Thinking to herself still that the people of Amestris like Alphonse have a great deal of damage still residing in their minds which makes a terrible scene in their hearts. That fact upset her greatly knowing that there were so many other people like herself in other parts of the world. People touched and broken by the lingering effects of the wars they fight in, the battles they wage. Both on the battlefield and off those fights never stop.

Lifting her hands, she slowly took off her gloves, the barriers that removed her from the rest of humanity and made her fit in. Staring at the silver fingers and the beauty of the joints that were crafted she pocketed the leather coverings and removed them from sight leaving only her hands exposed. Maybe this was the way she was meant to live. Not hiding from the truth and the past or running but facing it head on.

Maybe this, is what Love was.

This feeling of unconditional caring was welling inside of her. Something she had never truly understood started to come forth and make her feel on that bluff like someone new. A warmth more gentle than the light of the sun but more powerful than even its most beautiful ray seemed to strike her at the core of her being and gave her an immense feeling of comfort.

She wasn't alone in this world.

For so long, for so many weeks and months, she had followed the orders and commands of Major Bougainvillea. She had never understood what he meant, when he told her he loved her.

"I…" Violet started to speak, a hushed tone coming from her thin pale lips as she tried to put her emotions into some form of words.

Turning to her Alphonse tilted his head slightly before noticing her gloves were off. Reminding him a lot of his brother he only raised a smile. No matter how many times he saw them he always thought that her Auto-Mail arms were some of the most beautiful he'd ever seen. Never had there been crafts in Amestris that took Auto-Mail to such intricate beauty and detail as he saw with her silver inlaid hands and beautifully shined arms.

"It's ok." Al finally said.

And together, they silently stayed until the sun had just about vanished from the horizon, and the stars above starting to come out in full view.

"We should probably head on down." Al said, with a bit of a chuckle, trying to cover over the slightly awkward silence that had befallen the two as the suns light dissipated and no longer illuminated their path.

"Will we be safe going down now?" She asked, looking and realizing just how dark the path had become.

Al looked around and raising his head for a moment he nodded. Clapping his hands together he pressed them to the ground and a bright light shot out in all directions. After a few moments, the path going down the mountain and back to the village started appearing brighter, almost as if the stars had fallen on the path and were lighting the way for them to walk without fear.

Violet was amazed, looking to him Al could already tell she wanted to know how he did it. Without any words he smiled and pointed picked up one of the stones from the ground and handed it to her. Glowing and glistening, the bright shine it gave off was gorgeous. She could already tell it was getting dimmer however, fading into the background of the night.

"My alchemy…" Alphonse started saying as he led Violet onto the path. "My Alchemy, I got this ability to use it when Martel died." He said sorrowfully, his words taking a somber but respectful tone in reverence to her.

"I don't understand, Sir Alphonse." Violet chokingly replied, trying to hold back her own flood of emotions from elation to sorrow after the day's events. Her experiences from beauty to the stunning power of the light she held in her heart were opening her up to emotions she normally suppressed and trying to hold it together was something of a slight challenge now.

Al didn't notice and explained a little further. "I learned the truth when I lost my body the first time, but I forgot because the incident was so traumatic. Martel, her death… when Bradley Killed her inside me… It made me remember somehow. Brother said that… somehow it damaged the seal on my armor when she died. Because of that, I remembered everything that had occurred that night." He flipped his hands over a few times and looked to her with a slightly priggish smile, trying to lighten to mood from the topic and not make everyone too depressed again. "All I have to do is think about what I want and will the Alchemical process to occur. All I did was reach out into the earth and combined the elements that have a reaction that makes the rocks glow, and I made them combine. Photo-florescence is what it's called."

"It's amazing!" Violet said, a crisp smile hitting her lips. For a talent for something so amazing coming from something so painful, it's no wonder he was affected as harshly as he was. She never blamed in him the first place for running off but now with that truth out it made sense to her how those events would have made anyone run and want to escape. She continued to clutch the rock, holding it in her hands as its light pulsed gently and glowed in her palm.

Al felt stronger than he had in a long time. There were many things he'd held inside from his time in the Civil War that he had never been able to express, never to say or to speak. Thoughts and memories of people that he never thought he'd be able to let go of.

On their walk back to the Auto-Mailer's shop Winry and Garfiel had gone back to, they continued to have a long discussion, talking the entire way back about smaller topics. Like two old war buddies and best friends, emotionally the door finally felt open for the first time.

Finally, a part of the past for both of them was starting to feel like it was being put to rest.

 **OOC: Hey everyone, its been quite a wild ride. A lot of things have happened since Ch.3 came out and I've had a lot of personal struggles dealing with my own emotional battles. I'm sorry that it delayed things and I promise to work hard on really getting some of the content down better between work and school.**

 **Otherwise I hope everyone enjoys and I'll keep working hard on this. I'm really enjoying how this is taking off not so much as an adventure story at first or any fights but just a journey of personal discovery and emotional growth for both of our favorite characters.**

 **Thanks for taking the time to give it a read, and if anyone has any suggestions please let me know. I'd love to hear feedback on the story!**

 **EDIT: Thanks to K,R,Perice and The Dark Hour who spotted a rather glaring error where I had 2 story concepts that incidentally were blended together in their unedited formats before uploading. I have revised the story slightly to repair that damage and restructure the chapter to reflect a mixture of emotions from Winry but at the same time still keep some of her heavily Animated and eccentric behavior. Sorry for any confusion this caused and thanks for catching it you two!**


	5. The Stars of Rush Valley

The sky is so dark in the sky over Resembool like a black pane of glass coated with the darkest black pigment imaginable and dotted with the most perfectly bright spots of colored pigment. The sky's expanse was ceaseless as it spanned and wrapped the earth in it's cold and unending embrace, cradling the planet in its starry cloak for hours on end.

With metallic fingers, outstretched like a painter's brush, Violet traced in the sky silently brushing against the stars and the dots spanning the vastness of the space she stared off into. Her mind fluid with thought and memories of those she cared deeply for.

Her mind now filled with these emotions she, in her mind, imagined them projected amongst the stars as she sketched the memories of her past amongst the night-times personal canvas. Everyone she cared for was a difficult thing for her to think about previously, eternally out of reach like the very stars she reached for now. Only a small time ago, she would have never thought that those emotions and feelings could be something she would come to know and even start embracing.

Far off in a distant world and far from her homeland she had learned so much, almost as much as she had begun to during her time at the C.H. Postal Company. Becoming a doll, learning the human mind as well as she had been instructed in its anatomy was something she had taken a great and personal passion for.

The stars she guided through her outstretched silvered digits she imagined were all her thoughts scattered across her owned mind, and with them all of the experiences that had finally shown her that the world is worth exploring past simply existing as a tool for the army. What that short year had taught her and opened the mind she had closed off access too was more valuable to her now than anything in her existence, save for one person. The man who had made those possibilities a reality and who had given her the first glimpse into what it was to be loved.

Major Gilbert Bougainvillea.

That name had remained etched into her mind and heart as clearly as her own name had been and no matter where she was in the world Violet could never stop being able to thank him for the gift he had given her with his last words. Though the young girl, searing with the pain of losing both her arms at the time could not understand it, this last act of selfless compassion was what freed her from her bondage to the army and allowed her mind to finally break free of the tethers put upon her through the abuse of her childhood and conscription as a tool for the Military's use.

"I am Violet Evergarden." She stated confidently to the sky and speaking to the stars so that they may hear her words.

Among the stars and their twinkling brilliance the faces of her friends both former and now began to appear. Cattleya and Alphonse, Benedict and Winry, even Dietfried. All of the persons she had known and who had made the impact on her the most began to spin out into the stars and the faces of those that she had begun to regard with deep fondness spread themselves out against the darkness and alongside the constellations in the night's sky.

Recalling her hand to her body and grasping hold of the brooch that remained delicately hanging from her chest where she kept it at all times, she grasped it closely and held her hand over top of its golden rimmed emerald. Lifting it she stared into it and gazed into it as the glinting stars danced overtop of the glasslike surface of the gemstone and for just a moment she could see the eyes of her dearest friend in the world reflected back into hers as if she was looking him in the face right there. Holding it up and looking deeply into the void of space she imaged his face, and installed the gemstone overtop its effigy in the sparkles above her head.

With a smile, she could see him in the stars, and the rest of her friends crowded around him in her mind as she brought the gemstone brooch back to her and gently placing her teeth upon it with a smile, she held it with her jaw for a time. The edges of the gold worn slightly from how often she did this, she continued to look out and in a small bout of peace Violet relaxed atop of her perch staring out into the night sky.

Her right hand, drifting down slowly she placed it upon her chest and held firmly to her right breast, and under it the crinkle of papers as she lifted the folds of her dress and pulled out a small single page of paper she had tucked inside an envelope and she opened it. Scanning the contents and letting her fingers trace the lines of the paper gently as to not tear it. Reading it and proofing the words again she repackaged it in the paper.

Standing on her feet, her trademark boots supporting her weight as she gained her balance and looked down over the rest of Rush Valley, dimly lit in the starlight brilliance she took a step and hopped down from the roof where she had been perched atop the Rail Station and walked a short distance. Returning to her accommodations that she had been provided at the Auto-mailer's shop that Winry had gracefully offered her and Alphonse to spend the night in.

Restless and often the guard of her comrades, the concept of sleep eluded her often and not wanting to disturb or wake Alphonse her journey to the starlit expanse of her evening viewpoint was something she did enjoy as it gave her the necessary time to both reflect and relax in her own way. Safe from the overpowering light of the sun and the overjudge mental gaze of others who would seek to see her for something of a tool, the blackest nights covered in their brilliant gemstone skies provided her with immense security and the recollections of her memories.

Stealing away and escaping into her small dark corner of the world was a favorite pastime she had developed, but never in her life had she seen the sky so vivid or so brightly colored as she did here in Amestris. She didn't know why, but the sky just seemed that much purer.

Quickly scaling her way to the 2nd floor rear balcony, the point in which she had left the building earlier in the night as to avoid anyone's watching or hearing her leave, she re-entered the upstairs bedroom and saw Alphonse sitting upright and looking out the window himself. With only a slight smile and a nod of his head he greeted her as she returned through the window.

A little pink in the face, Violet was secretly glad that the moonlit night was the only light she had returned in for otherwise he would see the tinge of embarrassed blush flashing across her normally iridescently white doll's face.

"Welcome back." Al offered up, gently clearing his throat as she walked the room to where she had stored her typewriter. Removing the letter from her chest and holding it in her silvery fingers she placed it in a pocket with 2 other letters, tucking it neatly in and closing the flap with a click.

"Thank you, Al." She responded in kind, turning back to him after smoothing out her dress and becoming comfortable as she took her seat on the bed.

"Can't sleep either?" He asked her in his normally cheerful and adoring voice.

"No, I do not require much sleep to function adequately. It is something I have done since being in the Army." Violet offered up in response to which Al nodded his head.

"I can relate to that. Through the years as a suit of armor, never sleeping it makes me feel uneasy in the evenings where I was used to staying up all night watching camp for my Brother, or whoever we were with at the time. We'd spend hours, studying or reading Alchemical books and trying to learn anything we could get our hands on those days." Al recalled this fondly, speaking upbeat and happily almost.

Violet noted his tone as normally he spoke very unassured about his past, and about his experiences with the Amestrian Civil War before he had returned to his original body.

"Sir…" Violet spoke and caught herself. "Al, what kind of person is my employer?" She asked him directly with a hint of curious determination in her voice as she looked to him.

Al couldn't really answer at first, opting to run his tongue over the tips of his teeth and think for a moment.

"Brother is an, intense person. Even since we were kids, Edward has been passionate and kind to everyone he met and never had problems finding ways for us to get in trouble. We used to spend all day exploring our home, and the hills of Resembool around us, looking for things to do. His passion, and our trip through darkness, it's what kept us together. He's a strong person, even if he doesn't always seem it at first." Ed described, in pretty vague terms he thought but he wasn't really sure how else to put his brother into words, or how much he loved him.

Violet looked to the bag with the typewriter, and wondered to herself why Edward Elric, the famed Full Metal Alchemist, would have needed someone from so far away to come in the first place. With no answers coming, the only way to find out would be to track this elusive druid of a man down.

Tomorrow though, tomorrow they would continue the search to track him down.

"If Winry's right, he should be in Dublith with Teacher." Ed stated. He and Winry had spent the evening after returning catching up and the last thing Winry had told them was that Ed was possibly still in Dublith with Izumi Curtis.

"The morning train leaves at 11 tomorrow morning for Dublith?" Violet asked, wanting to confirm their schedule to which Al gave a simple nod of his head.

"That will give us a little time in the morning to say goodbye and to hopefully grab some breakfast, because I'll be nearly starved by then!" His chipper mood exerting itself Violet couldn't help but show the slightest bit of a smile to his comment.

Turning over on the bed and laying her head down on the pillow, her mind finally calmed as she thought only of the next day and pondered what her task would entail.

Why was she here?

The answer couldn't be any more vague to her as she closed her eyes in at least a bid to attempt to rest under the watchful eyes of Alphonse Elric.

 **OOC: Hello everyone. This was a short chapter I had the inspiration to write as a bit of an interlude from the story. I really wanted to have a short chapter built around silent contemplation from Violet. I enjoy the interlude stories as a break from writing longer chapters and it helps me to focus at least myself on where I want to go.**

 **I do try to keep the exposition to a minimum though and let the setpieces tell the story themselves, it's a technique I am working to get better and better at to have the story tell itself rather than spelling things out.**

 **I like the critique, and thank you much for my edits that you as my readers caught, I had some errors that had to be corrected in the last chapter and I thank you for your quick efforts!**

 **Otherwise, everyone enjoy the short read and I should have a new full length chapter ready soon.**


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